FOUR CRUCIAL ENERGY POLICIES FOR THE WORLD

Four energy policies can keep the 2 °C climate goal alive IEA report shows how to stop growth in energy-related emissions by 2020 at no net economic cost

10 June 2013 (International Energy Agency)

“Warning that the world is not on track to limit the global temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius, the International Energy Agency (IEA)…urged governments to swiftly enact four energy policies that would keep climate goals alive without harming economic growth… Redrawing the Energy-Climate Map highlights the need for intensive action before 2020…New estimates for global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2012 reveal a 1.4% increase...The new IEA report presents the results of a 4-for-2 °C Scenario, in which four energy policies are selected that can deliver significant emissions reductions by 2020, rely only on existing technologies and have already been adopted successfully in several countries…

“…[1] Energy efficiency measures in buildings, industry and transport account for nearly half the emissions reduction in 2020, with the additional investment…more than offset by reduced spending on fuel…[2] Limiting the…least-efficient coal-fired power plants delivers more than 20% of the emissions reduction…[Renewables and natural gas each increase] from around 20% today to 27% in 2020…[3] Actions to halve expected methane (a potent greenhouse gas) releases into the atmosphere from the upstream oil and gas industry in 2020 provide 18% of the savings…[4] Implementing a partial phase-out of fossil fuel consumption subsidies accounts for 12% of the reduction in emissions and supports efficiency efforts…”

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“The financial implications of climate policies that would put the world on a 2 °C trajectory are not uniform across the energy sector. Net revenues for existing renewables-based and nuclear power plants increase by $1.8 trillion (in year-2011 dollars) collectively through to 2035, offsetting a similar decline from coal plants. No oil or gas field currently in production would need to shut down prematurely…[A]round 5% to 6% of proven oil and gas reserves do not start to recover their exploration costs [until 2035]…

“Delaying the move to a 2 °C trajectory until 2020 would result in substantial additional costs to the energy sector and increase the risk of assets needing to be retired early, idled or retrofitted. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) can act as an asset protection strategy, reducing the risk of stranded assets and enabling more fossil fuel to be commercialised.”

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