Global Wind Energy Council and Global Solar Council form Global Renewables Alliance

2 November 2021 – A new renewable energy alliance between the wind energy and solar PV industries is calling on governments to implement energy transition action plans and cut red tape to meet Net Zero targets. 

A joint study by the Global Solar Council and the Global Wind Energy Council found that by 2030 there will be a 29% shortfall in the projected wind and solar capacity required to keep the world on course to limit global warming to 1.5˚C and sustain a pathway to carbon neutrality by 2050. 

The two organisations, which represent private sector companies and associations across the wind and solar PV industries worldwide, today established the Global Renewable Energy Alliance to step up cooperation, knowledge exchange and joint advocacy. Together, wind and solar energy set to make up 70% of electricity generation by 2050, in the net zero roadmaps published by the IEA and IRENA earlier this year.

At COP26, the global wind and solar industries are calling on governments to work with them to accelerate the deployment of these key technologies and:

• Raise ambition for wind and solar power at national level through updated NDC targets and national climate strategies, which reflect higher capacity targets for renewable energy and ban new coal build/investment.
• Implement effective policy and regulatory frameworks for procurement and delivery of renewable energy, including sensible and streamlined permitting schemes to lower project attrition rates, prioritised renewables-based generation and environmentally sound development.
• Commit to rapid build-out of clean energy infrastructure including grids and transmission, through pooled expertise and increased dialogue among system operators, regulators and utilities to address system bottlenecks and the forward-planning required to integrate large-scale renewable energy.

While there is a global focus on 2050, the 29% shortfall by 2030 sends a clear signal to policymakers that they are not moving fast enough to tackle climate change. Governments around the world need to realise this is the decade to make fundamental change. 

The Global Wind Energy Council and the Global Solar Council have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form the Global Renewable Energy Alliance. The Climate emergency necessitates a common position and platform through which these two clean energy pillars can collectively accelerate the energy transition.