Wind industry sets out eight policy asks for COP27
A global coalition of more than 100 leading wind energy companies and associations has urged governments to take dramatic action to scale up wind and renewable energy this decade.
The coalition, representing 81% of installed wind energy worldwide, has been brought together by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and includes offshore wind business Corio Generation.
In its Global Wind Energy Manifesto, published on 22 September 2022 ahead of the upcoming United Nations Climate Conference (COP27) in Egypt, the coalition calls on policymakers, financial institutions and other stakeholders to work together on eight concrete action areas, including scaling up ambition and urgently streamlining permitting schemes.
Endorsing the manifesto, Jonathan Cole, CEO of Corio Generation said: “The window of opportunity for achieving net zero and limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C is closing fast. If we are to avert the worst impacts of climate change, including on many of the world’s most vulnerable communities, governments need to act now to deliver rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
“This important manifesto, issued by GWEC on behalf of the wind industry, is a vital call to action. It addresses the many practical challenges that prevent greater deployment of potentially game-changing renewables like offshore wind. Thanks to technological innovation, economies of scale and increased investor confidence, we have the means to create a better, greener world. Have we the will? Only governments can answer that question when they gather at COP27.”
GWEC is a member-based organisation that represents the entire wind energy sector. The members of GWEC represent over 1,500 companies, organisations and institutions in more than 80 countries, including manufacturers, developers, component suppliers, research institutes, national wind and renewables associations, electricity providers, finance and insurance companies.
In a statement issued alongside the manifesto, Ben Backwell, CEO of GWEC said: “COP27 presents an opportunity for policymakers to come together to deal with these twin crises. The opportunity to draw a line under the unstable and unsecure fossil fuel era is there waiting to be seized by leaders around the world. It is time the world welcomed in the renewables era bringing clean energy and clean jobs with it.”
The manifesto sets out the following eight action areas:
1. Scale up ambition and higher volumes for wind power, and reflect this in updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by the end of 2022, comprehensive national climate and net zero strategies and short- and long-term energy plans.
2. Urgently streamline permitting schemes for grid-scale renewable energy projects to accelerate wind energy deployment and build a net zero-compatible project pipeline in the energy sector.
3. Commit to action plans to rapidly build out grids for integration of clean energy and cross-sector decarbonisation.
4. Evolve energy markets for the future.
5. Avoid long-term lock-in of fossil fuel-based generation in the current energy security crisis.
6. Develop cohesive and inclusive policies to enact a just and equitable energy transition.
7. Ensure national and regional finance adhere to robust benchmarks and guardrails for a net zero, 1.5°C-compliant pathway.
8. Progress the implementation of the global rulebook on carbon pricing, particularly Articles 6.2 and 6.4 of the Paris Agreement.
