Latest news with #NDCs
Scoop
18 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
UN's Guterres Declares Fossil Fuel Era Fading; Presses Nations For New Climate Plans Before COP30 Summit
22 July 2025 In a special address at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Guterres cited surging clean energy investment and plunging solar and wind costs that now outcompete fossil fuels. ' The energy transition is unstoppable, but the transition is not yet fast enough or fair enough, ' he said. The speech, A Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the Clean Energy Age – a followup to last year's Moment of Truth – was delivered alongside a new UN technical report drawing on global energy and finance bodies. 'Just follow the money,' Mr. Guterres said, noting that $2 trillion flowed into clean energy last year, $800 billion more than fossil fuels and up almost 70 per cent in a decade. Key points from the address Point of no return – The world has irreversibly shifted towards renewables, with fossil fuels entering their decline Clean energy surge – $2 trillion invested in clean energy last year, $800 billion more than fossil fuels Cost revolution – Solar now 41 per cent cheaper and offshore wind 53 per cent cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives. Global challenge – Calls on G20 nations to align new national climate plans with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement Energy security – Renewables ensure 'real energy sovereignty' Six opportunity areas – Climate plan ambition, modern grids, sustainable demand, just transition, trade reform, and finance for emerging markets. A shift in possibility He noted new data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) showing solar, once four times costlier, is now 41 per cent cheaper than fossil fuels. Similarly, offshore wind is 53 per cent cheaper, with more than 90 per cent of new renewables worldwide beating the cheapest new fossil alternative. ' This is not just a shift in power. It is a shift in possibility,' he said. Renewables nearly match fossil fuels in global installed power capacity, and 'almost all the new power capacity built' last year came from renewables, he said, noting that every continent added more clean power than fossil fuels. Clean energy is unstoppable Mr. Guterres underscored that a clean energy future 'is no longer a promise, it is a fact'. No government, no industry and no special interest can stop it. ' Of course, the fossil fuel lobby will try, and we know the lengths to which they will go. But, I have never been more confident that they will fail because we have passed the point of no return. ' He urged countries to lock ambition into the next round of national climate plans, or NDCs, due within months. Mr. Guterres called on the G20 countries, which are responsible for 80 per cent of emissions, to submit new plans aligned with the 1.5°C limit and present them at a highlevel event in September. Targets, he added, must 'double energy efficiency and triple renewables capacity by 2030' while accelerating 'the transition away from fossil fuels'. Real energy sovereignty The Secretary-General also highlighted the geopolitical risks of fossil fuel dependence. 'The greatest threat to energy security today is fossil fuels,' he said, citing price shocks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ' There are no price spikes for sunlight, no embargoes on wind. Renewables mean real energy security, real energy sovereignty and real freedom from fossil-fuel volatility. ' Six opportunity areas Mr. Guterres mapped six 'opportunity areas' to speed the transition: ambitious NDCs, modern grids and storage, meeting soaring demand sustainably, a just transition for workers and communities, trade reforms to broaden cleantech supply chains, and mobilising finance to emerging markets. Financing, however, is the choke point. Africa, home to 60 per cent of the world's best solar resources, received just 2 per cent of global clean energy investment last year, he said. Only one in five clean energy dollars over the past decade went to emerging and developing economies outside China. Flows must rise more than five-fold by 2030 to keep the 1.5-degree limit alive and deliver universal access. Mr. Guterres urged reform of global finance, stronger multilateral development banks and debt relief, including debtforclimate swaps. ' The fossil fuel age is flailing and failing. We are in the dawn of a new energy era,' he said in closing. ' That world is within reach, but it won't happen on its own. Not fast enough. Not fair enough. It is up to us. This is our moment of opportunity. '
Newsweek
a day ago
- Business
- Newsweek
UN Leader Says Clean Energy Is a 'Moment of Opportunity' in Climate Crisis
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a special address Tuesday that the rising abundance and falling costs of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources present "the dawn of a new energy era" of cheap, clean power and an opportunity to meet the climate challenge. "The fossil fuel age is flailing and failing," Guterres said, adding that nearly all new power capacity built last year came from renewable sources. He said the economics of renewable energy had passed a tipping point making the clean energy transition "unstoppable." Guterres called on nations to fully embrace the potential of clean energy as they submit plans to meet greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. He also challenged major tech companies to meet their surging demand for power for data centers with 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. "By 2030, data centers could consume as much electricity as all of Japan does today," Guterres said. "This is not sustainable, unless we make it so." United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres visits solar panels on the roof of the U.N. Headquarters. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres visits solar panels on the roof of the U.N. Headquarters. Mark Garten/Courtesy of the United Nations Drawing on statistics from a report released Tuesday by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Guterres lauded the remarkable growth of renewable energy in the decade since the Paris Climate Agreement was signed in 2015. Solar and wind power, once costly alternatives to electricity generated by burning coal or gas, are now roughly 40 to 50 percent cheaper than fossil fuels, the report found. Grid-scale batteries to store renewable energy—an important means of making the intermittent energy supply from sun and wind match times of energy demand—were scarce in 2015. Since then, the IRENA researchers found that global battery storage capacity has soared from just 2 gigawatts to 90 gigawatts. Guterres said the abundance of affordable clean energy means that government leaders can be much more aggressive on emissions reductions, "using new national climate plans to go all-out on the energy transition." Countries that are parties to the Paris Agreement are required to periodically update their emissions reduction plans, called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and new plans are due when the U.N. convenes the COP30 climate talks in November in Brazil. Guterres said he will convene a high-level event during the U.N. General Assembly in September to highlight NDCs that deliver on global promises to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 and reach global net-zero emissions by 2050. Former President Joe Biden submitted the U.S. NDC late last year near the end of his term in office, but it was largely a symbolic move. President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement upon taking office in January. Guterres did not reference Trump by name, but his remarks offered an unmistakable rebuke to Trump's energy policies that gut support for renewables in favor fossil fuels. "The clean energy future is no longer a promise, it's a fact," Guterres said. "No government, no industry, no special interest can stop it." Trump has dismantled climate-related research at federal agencies, placed additional barriers to solar and wind development and moved to end many regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from autos and the power sector, all while expanding mining and drilling access to public lands. While Guterres wants Big Tech to commit to renewable energy to power the boom in AI data centers, Trump and his top-level officials used an event last week to urge more use of coal and natural gas to power AI. At a summit on energy and AI in Pittsburgh, Trump's Energy Secretary Chris Wright, a former fracking industry executive, downplayed the seriousness of climate change and ridiculed Biden-era support for clean power as the "energy crazy train." Guterres said such continued investment in fossil fuels will drive up costs and create stranded assets in the long term. "Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies; they are sabotaging them," he said. He argued that dependence on fossil fuels leaves economies at the mercy of price shocks due to disruption to supplies and geopolitical turmoil, as happened with energy prices in Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Let's be clear," he said, "the greatest threat to energy security today is fossil fuels." The U.N. General Assembly in September coincides with Climate Week NYC, and Newsweek will be there with events on energy and the green transition. Mark your calendars for our events "Pillars of the Green Transition" on Wednesday, September 24, and "Powering Ahead" on Thursday, September 25.
Business Wire
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Amogy and GreenHarvest Target First Ammonia-to-Power Deployment in Taiwan to Accelerate Industrial Decarbonization
TAIPEI, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amogy, a provider of scalable and efficient ammonia-to-power solutions, today announced a landmark partnership with GreenHarvest, a Taiwan-based renewable energy firm, to deploy the first-ever ammonia-to-power system in Taiwan. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone in Asia's clean energy transition, bringing Amogy's advanced ammonia cracking technology to one of the world's most vital digital infrastructure and semiconductor hubs. Under the partnership, Amogy will provide the ammonia-to-power system while GreenHarvest will lead local integration as the power generation and distribution partner. The pilot system is scheduled for installation between late 2026 and early 2027 at a selected large industrial electricity consumer facility in Taiwan, with the potential to scale across the island's high-tech and manufacturing sectors. 'We are proud to bring our ammonia-powered technology to Taiwan with a forward-looking partner like GreenHarvest,' said Seonghoon Woo, CEO at Amogy. 'This project not only represents the first deployment of our technology in Taiwan, but also a critical step toward decarbonizing industrial energy use in one of the world's most important digital infrastructure economies.' Amogy's system utilizes advanced catalyst materials to convert ammonia into hydrogen on-site. The hydrogen is then funneled into a hydrogen engine, generating high performance power with zero carbon emissions. The system is modular, efficient, and uniquely suited to hard-to-abate industrial operations that demand both reliability and scalability. This project with GreenHarvest builds on Amogy's growing footprint in Asia, following the company's expansion into South Korea earlier this year to support regional commercialization and collaboration. As Taiwan seeks to meet ambitious decarbonization goals under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the partnership offers an innovative pathway for reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in eco-conscious manufacturing sectors. The collaboration also aligns with Taiwan's developing carbon trading framework, providing industrial electricity users with a future-proof energy solution that can reduce operational carbon footprints while supporting compliance with evolving regulatory policies. KH Chen, Chairman of GreenHarvest, commented: 'GreenHarvest has long been committed to rooftop solar development, providing industrial electricity users with a reliable and user-friendly source of green power. At the same time, we are actively deploying next-generation green electricity technologies. Through our 2024 collaboration with H2U in Australia on a green hydrogen project and this deployment of Amogy's ammonia-to-power energy solution at customer sites, it further reinforces our confidence and momentum in ammonia-based energy applications.' The project builds on GreenHarvest's extensive renewable energy experience, including large-scale rooftop solar installations and its international green hydrogen ventures. By combining GreenHarvest's market leadership in Taiwan's energy transition with Amogy's cutting-edge technology, the partnership opens a new chapter in Asia's clean industrial power landscape. About Amogy Amogy provides carbon-free energy solutions to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors like maritime shipping, power generation, and heavy industry. Proven in real-world applications, its patented ammonia cracking technology offers a mature, scalable, and highly efficient method for splitting ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen. The resulting hydrogen is directed into an integrated fuel cell or hydrogen engine, generating high-performance power with zero carbon emissions. Amogy is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, with additional locations including Texas, South Korea, Norway, and Singapore. Amogy is backed by investors including Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund, SK Innovation, Aramco Ventures, Mitsubishi Corporation, Samsung Heavy Industries, BHP Ventures, and AP Ventures. For more information, follow Amogy on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, and YouTube, or visit About GreenHarvest GreenHarvest has been a key player in Taiwan's renewable energy sector for over a decade. Its operations include renewable power generation and retailing, energy information services, solar operation and maintenance(O&M), and community energy management system. The core mission, "Sustainability", focuses on eco-friendly renewable energy, mainly through rooftop PV systems. We are dedicated to environmental friendliness in every aspect, among society communication, developing, design, construction, O&M during energy transition. It provides RE100 and net-zero total solution by diversified renewable energy, power generation and loading prediction, energy storage system, hydrogen application and virtual power plant(VPP) technology.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Share of clean energy in India's electricity less than 30% despite 50% of installed capacity
India may have achieved an important milestone of sourcing 50% of its electric power capacity, or about 484 gigawatts, from non fossil-fuel sources, though publicly available data show that the share of clean energy in the electricity actually supplied is below 30%. 'India has achieved a landmark in its energy transition journey by reaching 50% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources — five years ahead of the target set under its Nationally Determined Contributions [NDCs] to the Paris Agreement,' Pralhad Joshi, Minister for New and Renewable Energy, said earlier this week. 'This significant milestone underscores the country's steadfast commitment to climate action and sustainable development, and signals that India's clean energy transition is not only real but also accelerating under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.' In 2014, the share of renewable energy sources – solar, wind, biomass, hydropower (small and large) and nuclear power – constituted about 30% of India's installed electricity capacity. As on June 30, 2025 – as per the Centre – it rose to 50%. However, the share of electricity generated from these sources rose from 17% in 2014-15 to 28% in the May 2025-26 period. To be sure, the quantum of clean energy (non-fossil) produced annually has risen quite significantly from 190 billion units in 2014-15 to 460 billion units in 2024-25. Experts say that despite the rise in clean energy, the slower increase in utilising clean energy was due to the 'capacity utilisation factor' (CUF), a measure of how much available energy was usable. CUF values for clean energy have been lower than that of coal or nuclear sources. 'While solar and wind now make up a large share of installed capacity, their CUFs are much lower. Solar has CUF of approximately 20% and wind around 25-30%, compared to coal's 60% or nuclear's 80%. This means their contribution to actual generation remains limited despite high installed capacity,' said Arunendra kumar Tiwari, Fellow, The Energy Resources Institute. Base load demand, or power that is available through the day, is largely provided by coal, which makes up about 75% of India's energy mix. While there was a rise in solar energy utilisation and easing demand on coal during the daytime, particularly in summer, was unavailable in the evening. 'To improve utilisation of solar, we primarily need two things: flexibility in the grid and improved battery storage. Right now we pay the same (per unit) for electricity, whether night or day. Much like in the early days of telecom, when night calls were cheaper, we need to experiment with differential tarrifs for electricity during the day. This however will require smart grids and better management,' said Saurabh Kumar, vice-president, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and an expert on energy, 'We have several schemes that are being working on and in the next one or two years, I expect there will be significant improvement.' In the days ahead, an increase in 'hybrid' power projects that combine solar, wind, hydro and storage elements to meet India's growing peak and round-the-clock power needs are the way forward, says a policy note from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. 'When paired with battery storage, these hybrids can store surplus energy and release it during peak demand hours, particularly in the evening. However, deployment is currently limited by challenges such as land-aggregation issues, lack of coordinated transmission planning, and high cost of storage components.'
New Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Cabinet approves enhanced- investment autonomy for NTPC, NLCIL
NEW DELHI: In a move to accelerate the development of renewable energy projects in India, the government has granted enhanced financial autonomy to NTPC Limited and NLC India Limited (NLCIL), two major Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs). The Cabinet has approved the relaxation of existing investment guidelines to allow NTPC Limited to increase its investment in NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), a wholly owned subsidiary. This move raises the previous investment ceiling from ₹7,500 crore to ₹20,000 crore. The decision is aimed at facilitating NTPC's goal of achieving 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032. It is expected to expedite the development of renewable projects, reinforce the national power infrastructure, and help ensure reliable, round-the-clock electricity supply across the country. Similarly, NLCIL has received Cabinet approval to invest ₹7,000 crore in its wholly owned subsidiary, NLC India Renewables Limited (NIRL). NIRL will use these funds to invest in renewable energy projects directly or through joint ventures, without requiring prior approval under existing guidelines. This investment is also exempt from the 30% net worth ceiling stipulated by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) for CPSE investments in subsidiaries and joint ventures, thereby providing NLCIL and NIRL with greater financial and operational flexibility. This initiative supports NLCIL's strategic vision of developing 10.11 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and scaling it up to 32 GW by 2047. It aligns with India's climate commitments announced at COP26, including the pledge to establish 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030 under the 'Panchamrit' agenda and to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2070. NLCIL, a key Navratna CPSE, currently operates seven renewable energy assets with a total installed capacity of 2 GW. India has already reached a significant milestone in its energy transition by achieving 50% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources—five years ahead of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. NTPC, as the country's leading power utility and a Maharatna CPSE, is targeting the addition of 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032 to support the national goal of reaching 500 GW by 2030 and, ultimately, achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070.
