I’m in Seoul, in a vast room for the 2014 Clean Energy Ministerial roundtable, surrounded by men in dark suits – only a sprinkling of women – listening to the IEA’s Maria van der Hoeven give a rock star speech about the State of Climate Change.
It’s not good news: the growth of coal-fired power growth since 2008 has beaten the growth of renewable energy. The relentless increase in use of fossil fuels in developing markets has wiped out any gains we’ve made with clean energy in developed countries. Errrk.
The 23 countries represented around the table represent, according to conference chair US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, 80% of greenhouse gas emissions and 90% of clean energy investment.
Maria van der Hoeven is essentially reading the riot act to the assembled Ministers: she tells them there’s tonnes we can easily do, and we have to do much much more than we are now doing if we’re to keep climate change to 2 degrees Celcius warming.
The Russian delegate’s chair is empty, but the others are listening, even Australia and Canada. We hope.
BNEF’s Nathaniel Bullard comes on and says there are rays of hope: China’s stepped up fight against air pollution leading to shutdowns of coal and the massive global growth in solar last year (42% according to the IEA).
Then a very cheery performance from Nam-Sung Ahn of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning, on the 10 breakthrough technologies coming through:
- DC power line roll-out, allowing remote generation.
- Advanced energy storage systems allowing electricity system balancing.
- Advanced biofuels for long-distance transport.
- Microgrids improving reliability and sustainability of electricity systems.
- Greenhouse gas capture innovations: concrete that absorbs CO2, carbon mineralization, etc.
- Further reductions in solar power costs coming through the system.
- Advanced offshore wind turbine technology.
- Hybrid renewable energy systems combining two or more types that address limitations in reliability.
- Wireless technologies that allow us to use big data to better manage energy demand.
- Advanced thermal energy storage solutions for homes.
His point was that these will work best as a harmonized "orchestra" of solutions.
Hope.
