Towards 100% renewable: connecting energy sectors for a global energy transition
Greifswald and Berlin | Germany
In 2016, renewable energy investment exceeded investment in conventional energy for the second year in a row, in spite of low oil prices. The greatest progress was made in the electricity sector. The heating, cooling, and transport sectors are more challenging to decarbonise and continue to be dominated by conventional energy sources.
In addition, energy policy around the world is sending mixed signals. While China is moving forward with the mass-scale development of renewable energy, other countries are slowing down. Germany’s rapid integration of renewable energy is decelerating, and the European Union introduced lower and nationally non-binding targets for 2030. The US commitment to climate policy and renewable energy is also wavering under the Trump administration.
The 14th annual IKEM Academy: Energy and the Environment showed that further renewable energy expansion is still achievable. The programme addressed the need to move beyond electricity and connect it with the heating and transport sectors as part of a sustainable, smart energy system.