Multipronged action on the SDGs
Energy — Middle East and Northern Africa
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is undertaking a combination of pioneering projects in the UAE’s Hatta region, which exemplify its holistic approach to the SDGs
SDG 7
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Only eight years left to reset priorities for a climate-safe future
Climate — Global
Despite many countries announcing more ambitious political commitments to net-zero, the policies and actions announced to date fall woefully short of achieving 1.5°C. We must rapidly increase the transition to renewable energy if we’re to avert climate catastrophe
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Lessons from Europe’s energy crisis
Energy — Europe
Europe must now redouble efforts to become self-sufficient in energy, with the focus squarely on renewables
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Solving energy poverty: power beyond the grid
Energy — Global
Off-grid and mini-grid electricity generation can bring immediate benefits across the SDGs. They offer a least-cost approach to electrification, yet investment in them remains limited. What needs to happen to ensure these technologies play their full part in tackling energy poverty?
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Renewables siting must take the path of least conflict
Energy — Global
In most developed countries, renewable energy siting has been plagued with delays, contract extensions, and “NIMBY” protests. Project developers and government planning agencies must be transparent and inclusive in their decision-making to gain public support and reduce the environmental and social negative spillover effects of energy expansion projects
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Our current state of economic development has been built on burning carbon. To achieve the SDGs, or even just retain what we have, that link needs to be broken – ‘decoupled’. The decoupling process has started but will need to be total
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Developing the infrastructure to distribute low-carbon energy
Energy — Global
Conversations on energy transition tend to focus on renewable generation or the end-user. However, too often, the complex systems that are required to connect the two are neglected. Relying on ‘the market’ to develop solutions risks being too slow and inequitable. Governments need to get their heads round the radical changes that must be made to create resilient, sustainable energy networks – it is down to governments to drive the energy transition forward
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Can Southeast Asia maintain its high growth without the carbon baggage?
Climate — Pacific and South-eastern Asia
Southeast Asia is a center of both economic and emissions growth. Its efforts to decarbonize will have a huge impact on both regional and global progress on climate action
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The experience of COVID has fundamentally changed our understanding of country risks. These lessons need to shape and drive COP26
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Less is more: plugging the climate financing gap
Financing — Global
Funding for polluting projects remains alarmingly high. We need to urgently switch this finance toward sustainable projects. The relatively cheap cost of action now compared with the economic disaster of inaction is a math “no brainer” – and the time to act is now
