LAUNCH OF THE WORLD'S FIRST COMPREHENSIVE GLOBAL ENERGY STRATEGY FOR TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE

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NEW DELHI, India, Jan 29 -- Greenpeace issued the following press release:

Renewable energy, combined with efficiencies from the 'smart use' of energy, can deliver half of the world's energy needs by 2050, according to one of the most comprehensive plans for future sustainable energy provision, launched today. The report: 'Energy [R]evolution: A sustainable World Energy Outlook', by the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) and Greenpeace International, provides a practical blueprint for how to cut global CO2 emissions by almost 50% within the next 43 years, whilst providing a secure and affordable energy supply and, critically, maintaining steady worldwide economic development.

The 100-page report was developed in conjunction with specialists from the Institute of Technical Thermodynamics at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR). Splitting the world into 10 regions, it provides the first comprehensive global energy concept which gives a detailed analysis of how to restructure the global energy system based only on proven and sustainable technologies, such as renewable energy sources and efficient, decentralised cogeneration. More than 30 scientists and engineers from universities, institutes and the renewable energy industry around the world collaborated to provide the detailed regional assessments for the future potential for renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures.

Notably, the plan takes into account rapid economic growth areas such as China, India and Africa, and provides for the staged phasing out of nuclear and coal as environmentally unsafe or damaging fuel sources. The Energy [R]evolution scenario is compared in the report to the effects on CO2 emissions (and, thereby climate change) of carrying on with a 'business as usual' scenario, this scenario being provided by the t he International Energy Association's breakdown of 10 world regions, as used in the ongoing series of World Energy Outlook reports

"The Energy Revolution scenario has come at the perfect time, when the world is crying out for a roadmap for tackling the dilemma of how to provide the power we all need, without fuelling climate change," said K Srinivas, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace India . "We have shown that the world can have safe, robust renewable energy that we can achieve the efficiencies needed and we can do all this whilst enjoying global economic growth and phasing out damaging and dangerous sources such as coal and nuclear, " he continued.

However, the report also highlights that the time window for making the key decisions in energy infrastructure - which will spark the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy - is relatively short. Within the next decade, many of the existing power plants in the OECD countries will come to the end of their technical lifetime and will need to be replaced, whilst developing countries such as China, India and Brazil are rapidly building up new energy infrastructure to service their growing economies. The key decisions which could either start a renewable energy future, or keep the world on the 'business as usual' path will be made by governments, investment institutions and utility companies in the next few years.

Arthouros Zervos, co-author and president of the European Renewable Energy Industry Council (EREC) said: "With wind and solar markets worth US$ 38 billion and doubling in size every three years, their growth follows the path of the internet or mobile technology. We therefore call on decision makers around the world to make this vision a reality. The political choices of the coming years will determine the world's environmental and economic situation for many decades to come. Renewable energy can and will have to play a leading role in the world's energy future. There is no technical but a political barrier to make this shift."

The report also highlights the economic advantages of the energy revolution scenario - the global market for renewable energy can grow at a double digit rate till 2050, and achieve the size of today's fossil fuel industry. It concludes that renewable energies will represent the backbone of the world's economy - not only in OECD countries, but also in developing countries such as China, India and Brazil.

G. Ananthapadmanabhan, Executive Director, Greenpeace India said "with business and political Leaders from across the globe meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the launch of this report will offer a definitive framework for world energy outlook and enable these global leaders to adapt and implement solutions which will have a significant impact on global emission reductions. We call upon the world leaders to use the report and come out with an immediate policy and implementation framework which will start to address the issue of energy for all while reducing emissions".

Welcoming the report, R.K. Pachauri, chair of the IPCC, said "There is now growing awareness on the imperatives for a global energy future which marks a distinct departure from past trends and patterns of energy production and use."

Edited press releases are provided through HT Syndication, New Delhi.