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GLOBAL RENEWABLES ONLINE - SUMMER / FALL 2013
centrated in a relatively small number
of countries, including Brazil, China,
India, members of the EU, and the US.
Employment is flourishing in other
countries, and there is an increasing
number of technical and sale jobs, par-
ticularly in the off-grid sector in the
developing world.
According to Achim Steiner,
UNEP Executive Director, “the up-
take of renewable energies continues
world-wide as countries, companies
and communities seize the linkages
between low carbon Green Economies
and a future of energy access and se-
curity, sustainable livelihoods and a
stabilised climate. There has been a
dramatic increase in number and size
of projects. There have also been sharp
falls in manufacturing costs and in the
selling prices of wind turbines and
photovoltaic panels, contributing to a
shake-out in the industry in 2012. This
is not only normal in a rapidly grow-
ing, high tech industry but is likely to
lead to even more competition, with
even bigger gains for consumers, the
climate and wider sustainability op-
portunities.”
“2012
has been another record
year for renewable energy installations
worldwide and it is encouraging to see
that 138 countries have put renewable
energy targets and policy frameworks
in place. We stand on the cusp of re-
newables becoming a central part of
the world’s energy mix. However, to
rapidly achieve higher renewable en-
ergy shares and secure the necessary
investments, stable national and inter-
national policy frameworks that reflect
the benefits of renewables are needed.
REN21’s 2013 Global Status Report
demonstrates how policies can drive
the successful integration of large
shares of renewables in the energy mix
while simultaneously benefitting the
economy and the environment,” states
Arthouros Zervos, Chair of REN21.
Professor Dr. Udo Steffens, Presi-
dent and CEO of the Frankfurt School
of Finance & Management, host of the
Frankfurt School – UNEP Collaborat-
ing Centre for Climate & Sustainable
Energy Finance adds, “to meet the
common goal to limit global warming
to two degrees Celsius from pre-indus-
trial levels public and private partners
need to increase their mutual under-
standing and cooperate in their efforts
to advance options for new climate
finance investments.”
HIGHLIGHTS FROM DIFFERENT
WORLD REGIONS/LEADING
COUNTRIES:
Renewables are picking up speed
across Asia, Latin America, the Middle
East, and Africa, with new invest-
ment in all technologies. The Middle
East-North Africa region (MENA) and
South Africa, in particular, witnessed
the launch of ambitious new targets
in 2012, and the emergence of policy
frameworks and renewables deploy-
ment. Markets, manufacturing, and in-
vestment shifted increasingly towards
developing countries during 2012. Re-
newables represent a rapidly growing
share of energy supply in a growing
number of countries and regions:
In China, wind power generation
increased more than that from coal and
passed nuclear power output for the
first time.
In the European Union, renew-
ables accounted for almost 70% of
additions to electric capacity in 2012,
coming predominately from solar PV
and wind power. In 2011 (the latest
data available), renewables met 20.6%
of the region’s electricity consumption
and 13.4% of gross final energy con-
sumption.
