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Special Report Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation

 

The AR4 had to cover the full range of mitigation options which necessarily limited its treatment o renewable energy sources. Since then, many Governments as well as important actors in civil society and the private sector have asked for more substantial information and broader coverage of all questions pertaining to the use of renewable energy sources.  As expressed by the interventions of many Governments at the  25th Plenary Session of the IPCC at Mauritius, this is particularly true of certain countries and regions where specific information is lacking. 

Within the constraints of time and space, the AR4 identified the economic potential for renewable energy to provide heat, electricity and transport fuels to meet in part the growing energy demand and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Since the AR4, significant new information and analysis has been reported in the literature on technological development and deployment, regional assessments, environmental and socio-economic impacts, cost reductions as well as mounting practical experience with implementation. 

Due to the dynamic development of markets and investment and the experience gained from enabling policy frameworks, substantial additional evidence has emerged since the AR4 and the experts at the Workshop expect further relevant information by 2009, the last date available for inclusion in the Special Report.

A Special Report on Renewable Energy would provide a better understanding of: 

  • resources by region and impacts of climate change on these resources;
  • the mitigation potential of renewable energy sources;
  • the linkages between renewable energy growth and co-benefits in achieving sustainable development by region;
  • the impacts on global, regional and national energy security; 
  • the technology and market status, future developments and projected rates of deployment;
  • the options and constraints for integration into the energy supply system and other markets, including energy storage options;
  • the economic and environmental costs, benefits, risks and impacts of deployment;  
  • capacity building, technology transfer and financing in different regions; 
  • policy options, outcomes and conditions for effectiveness; and 
  • the accelerated deployment could be achieved in a sustainable manner.

A Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation would address the information needs of policy makers, private sector and civil society in a comprehensive way and would provide valuable information for further IPCC publications. Ideally it should be finalized in time to allow integration of its findings into the next comprehensive IPCC assessment of mitigation of climate change.

The vast majority of the more than one hundred experts participating in the workshop indicated that they would be available as lead authors for such a special report. Furthermore, there has been substantial additional interest shown by experts not present at the workshop to become involved in the writing process. Thus, there should not be any problem of recruiting the necessary expertise for an IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation. 

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