IRENA flags scope for more ambitious renewables goals under Paris deal

Countries can significantly strengthen their renewables targets in the next round of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris agreement, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) said today.

According to an IRENA report, released at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, NDCs can better reflect the pace of renewable energy uptake.

Under current NDCs, the world would add 80 GW of renewable energy capacity a year between 2015 and 2030, IRENA says. This, however, is short of current trends as countries have installed 125 GW of renewable energy capacity on average per year between 2010 and 2016. The analysis has also found that renewable energy targets in national energy strategies often are more ambitious than the goals in NDCs.

"The case for renewable energy has strengthened considerably since parties first quantified the renewable energy components of their nationally determined contributions," said IRENA director-general Adnan Z Amin. "Our analysis finds that the convergence of innovation, falling costs and positive socioeconomic impacts of renewable energy – together with the climate imperative – make a compelling case for accelerating action," Amin also said.

The second round of NDCs is due in 2020 and a "facilitative dialogue" will begin next year.

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