Fatih Birol (IEA): Humanity’s Transition to Clean Energy is Unstoppable
However, there is a risk that some governments will “change their minds”
The transition to clean technology is now “unstoppable,” as it is no longer just a political choice of governments, but has become an integral part of markets. As Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said in his speech at the International Energy Innovation Forum in Paris, “we have two challenges to meet, one of which, especially between now and 2030, is to scale up the clean technologies that are already commercially available and to promote them aggressively, for example, solar, wind, heat pumps, electric vehicles, energy efficiency, and, in some countries, nuclear power. But, as we found, even this big push is not enough to achieve decarbonization by 2050. This is why, as we have stated, we need to promote technologies that are not yet on the market but are under development and will be part of our energy mix by about 2030. “Therefore, for the second task to be accomplished, the magic word is ‘innovation,’” Birol said.
According to the IEA director, “green technologies are advancing faster than many people think.” While 23 years ago, back in 2001, “the share of wind and solar parks in global electricity generation was only 0.25%, in 2027 this share will reach at least 25%,” Birol said. However, there is a risk that some countries will change their minds. But, according to Birol, “a possible change in the orientation of one or two governments on the energy transition should not have a significant impact on the direction of movement,” because it is now the “market forces” that are guiding the transition to a sustainable future. “The innovative technology and clean energy manufacturing market is expected to reach $1 billion in the next 10 years, becoming a new chapter in the global industry,” Birol said, reiterating that “the energy transition is unstoppable.”
