by Shane Henson — January 29, 2014—The global renewable energy share can reach and exceed 30 percent by 2030 at no extra cost, according to a study recently completed by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). IRENA is the global hub for renewable energy cooperation and information exchange by 124 member states, including the United States and the European Union.
The study maps out a pathway for doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix based on the technologies that are available today. Energy efficiency and improved availability of cost-effective renewable energy technologies can advance the share of renewables in the global energy mix by up to 36 percent, according to the study.
IRENA notes that the deployment of modern renewable energy (renewable energy sources that exclude traditional burning of biomass such as wood) needs to grow more than threefold. The study suggests a rethinking of energy taxes and subsidies is critical to the economic case for renewable energy. Subsidies for renewable energy could disappear altogether, if greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution are reasonably priced, the report argues.
The results of the study are outlined in the report REmap 2030: A Renewable Energy Roadmap—Summary of Findings, which builds on the analysis of the energy supply and demand of 26 countries, which the agency says account for 74 percent of projected global total final energy consumption in 2030.
