United Nations

ADVANCE UNEDITED COPY

General AssemblyDistr.: General
15 August 2011
Original: English

Sixty-sixth session
Item 20 (j) of the provisional agenda ∗Promotion of new and renewable sources of energy
Report of the Secretary-General

Summary
A transformation of the global energy system is needed toprovide sustainable energy for all, to satisfy rapid growth in energy
demand, particularly in developing countries, and to diminish thenegative impacts of climate change. New and renewable sources ofenergy stand at the center of global efforts to induce a paradigm
shift towards green economies, poverty eradication and ultimately
sustainable development. Record investments are being made bysome countries to propel innovation, development andcommercialization of renewable energy technologies. Nevertheless,much more cooperation and action is needed to substantially
increase the contribution of these technologies to the global energy
system. A coordinated global energy strategy needs to be adopted,
in conjunction with consistent and stable national policies, to bring
down the cost of renewable energy technologies, including off-gridsystems, for use by the poorest segments of the population living inrural areas.

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Contents
Paragraphs
I.

Introduction
A. Mandates and Resolutions ……………………………………. 1 - 4
B. Sustainable energy for all …………………………….............. 5 - 10
C. Global energy systems ……………………………………….. 11 - 12

II.

Overview of new and renewable sources of energy
A. Status ………………..……………………………………….. 13 - 26
B. Prospects…………. ……………………………..................... 27 - 34

III.

Promotion of new and renewable energy
A. National efforts ………………………………………………... 35 - 42
B. International institutional arrangements and efforts …………. 43 - 55
C. Options for coordinated global energy strategies …………….. 56 - 75

IV.

Conclusions ………………………………………………………. 76 - 872

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I.

INTRODUCTION
A. Mandates and Resolutions
1. The General Assembly, in its resolution 62/197, reaffirmed the need for putting into
action the full Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development(WSSD) 1 as the intergovernmental framework for energy for sustainable development. The
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation in Chapter III calls for action at all levels to “with asense of urgency, substantially increase the global share of renewable energy sources with theobjective of increasing its contribution to total energy supply” 2 . The General Assembly
encouraged the United Nations system to continue to raise awareness of the importance ofenergy for sustainable development and poverty eradication, including the need for thepromotion of new and renewable sources of energy and the increased role these sources could
play in the global energy supply.
2. In recalling the outcome of the 2005 World Summit resolution 60/1, the General
Assembly welcomed initiatives aimed at improving access to reliable, affordable,
economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound energy services forsustainable development in order to contribute to the achievement of internationally agreed
development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (resolution 55/2). In
addition, it recognized the contribution of new and renewable sources of energy to the
reduction of greenhouse gases and in addressing climate change. The General Assembly also
called on the international community to support least developed countries, landlocked
developing countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in their efforts to develop
and utilize energy resources, including new and renewable energy.
3. The General Assembly, in its resolution 64/206, requested the Secretary-General tosubmit at its sixty-sixth session a report on the promotion of new and renewable sources ofenergy. The present report is submitted pursuant to that request.
4. The General Assembly also decided to declare 2012 the “International Year of
Sustainable Energy for All” in its resolution 65/15. Initiatives by Member States andinternational organizations are being undertaken to create at all levels an enabling environment
for the promotion of access to energy and energy services and the use of new and renewableenergy technologies.

1

Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 August-4
September 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.03.II.A.1 and corrigendum), chap. I, resolution 2,
annex.
2
Political Declaration and Plan of Implementation, paragraph 20 (e), United Nations, 2003.

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B.

Sustainable energy for all

5. The availability of adequate, affordable and reliable energy services is essential for
alleviating poverty, improving human welfare, raising living standards and ultimately forachieving sustainable development. As global development challenges continue to beundertaken, it is increasingly recognized that provision of adequate energy services has amultiplier effect on health, education, transport, telecommunications, and water availability
and sanitation. Consequently, energy is an important factor for achieving the Millennium
Development Goals.
6. Securing “sustainable energy for all” involves the development of systems that support
the optimal use of energy resources in an equitable and socially supportive manner while
minimizing environmental impacts. Integrated national and regional infrastructures for energy
supply, efficient transmission and distribution systems as well as demand programmes thatemphasize energy efficiency are necessary for sustainable energy systems.
7. Universal energy access is essentially related to access to modern energy fuels that canreplace traditional biomass consumption for cooking, heating and lighting. It also relates toaccess to electricity. Traditional biomass is solid biomass used in an unsustainable manner andincludes fuelwood, agricultural waste and animal dung. It usually represents the only available
or affordable fuel to the poor in many developing regions. Worldwide about 2.7 billion people
depend on traditional biomass for cooking of which 83 per cent live in rural areas 3 . Modern orcommercial biomass is produced in a sustainable way and can be used for electricity
generation, heat production and transportation.
8. The use of solid fuels and the lack of ventilation in households in developing countries areassociated with very high levels of pollutants such as particulates, carbon monoxide, andformaldehyde. Women and young children represent the segments of the population with thehighest exposure to these pollutants 4 . Therefore, lack of or insufficient commercial energy use
has been found to be correlated with high infant mortality, illiteracy, and with low life
expectancy. It is estimated that about 1.45 million premature deaths occur each year fromhousehold indoor pollution due to inefficient biomass combustion. This corresponds to morethan 4,000 deaths per day. Many of these premature deaths are young children and women.
9. Electricity has many uses and it is irreplaceable for a number of applications. Globally
about 1.4 billion people live without electricity of whom 85 per cent live in rural areas. SubSaharan Africa has the largest number of people (about 585 million) without electricity. Over
400 million people in India, mostly living in rural areas, also lack access to electricity.
Electricity access in rural areas is restricted by the need for capital to extend the national
electric grids and by the lack of available and affordable modern fuels that could be used forelectricity generation.
3
4

IEA, World Energy Outlook 2010 (Paris, OECD/IEA, 2010).
UNDP/WHO, The energy access situation in developing countries, New York, 2009.

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10. World challenges -- including impacts from climate change, limited natural resources,
rapid increase in energy demand, and the loss of biodiversity -- demand a greater reliance on
new and renewable sources of energy. Accessibility and affordability of renewable energy
technologies are key to ensure sustainable energy for all.
C. Global energy systems
11. Global primary energy demand continued to grow in the last several years and amounted
to 12,271 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in 2008. The world still relies largely on oil,coal and gas (see Table 1). In 2008, over 80 per cent of the primary energy consumed wasfrom fossil fuels with oil and coal accounting for about 60 per cent.
Table 1: World primary energy demand by fuel (Mtoe)

Coal
Oil
Gas
NuclearHydropower
Biomass
Other renewables
Total

1980
1,792
3,107
1,234
186
148
749
12
7,228

1990
2,233
3,222
1,674
526
184
904
36
8,779

2000
2,292
3,655
2,085
676
225
1,031
55
10,019

2008
3,315
4,059
2,596
712
276
1,225
89
12,271

Sources: IEA, World Energy Outlook 2009 (Paris, OECD/IEA, 2009); IEA, World Energy Outlook 2010
(Paris, OECD/IEA, 2010).

12. Major increases in world energy demand are expected to continue in the next decades,
especially in developing countries. The accelerated demand for energy is resulting from rapid
economic growth in emerging economies and projected increases in the world’s population,from 6.7 billion in 2008 to 8.5 billion by 2035. The International Energy Agency (IEA) in its
2010 World Energy Outlook (WEO 2010) projects that global primary energy demand willgrow to values ranging between 14,900 Mtoe and 18,000 Mtoe, depending on the scenario
being considered. In the New Policies scenario, which takes into account the broad policy
commitments and plans that have been announced by many countries around the world, global
primary energy demand will grow 36 per cent by 2035 and non-OECD countries will accountfor 93 per cent of this increase. Fossil fuels maintain their central role in primary energy but
their share declines 74 per cent in 2035. China accounts for 35 per cent of the global increase
and India for 18 per cent 5 .

5

IEA, World Energy Outlook 2010 (Paris, OECD/IEA, 2010).

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II.

OVERVIEW OF NEW AND RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY
A. Status
13. The role of renewable energy in global energy supply continues to increase in some world
regions. The trends of the last decade and in particular of the last five years reflect strong
growth in all the energy sectors, including power generation, heating and cooling, andtransport fuels. Nevertheless, the overall contribution of new and renewable sources of energy
to the global energy system still remains very limited.
14. Recent global events, such as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and the impact of
the natural disasters in the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan in 2011, highlight the importanceof continuing to develop cost-competitive new and renewable sources of energy. In many
countries policy makers and the public and private sectors are becoming more supportive ofglobal and national strategies to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy technologies
and to expand their corresponding markets. These efforts are key to sustain the transformationof the energy systems and to fuel the green economies of the future.
15. In order to assess the role of renewable energy in the satisfaction of global energy
demand, it is necessary to look at its shares in the categories of primary energy, final energy,
electricity generation and electric generating capacity. Table 2 lists the shares of global
renewable energy in these four energy categories.
Table 2: Shares of renewable energy

Total Renewable energy
share
Renewable energy share(excluding traditional
biomass)
Renewable energy share(excluding traditional biomass
and considering only smallhydropower (<50 MW)

In
Primary
Energy13%

In Final
In
In
EnergyElectricity Electricity
Consumption Generation Capacity
16%
19%
27%

7%

6%

19%

27%

4.9%

3.0%

4.6%

8.0%

Sources: REN21, “Renewables 2011: global status report” (Paris, REN21 secretariat, 2011); IEA, World
Energy Outlook 2010 (Paris, OECD/IEA, 2010). Notes: TPES and FEC for 2009; Electricity generation andcapacity for 2010.

16. The table includes three sets of values for these four energy types. The first set (first row)shows the total shares of renewable energy including traditional biomass. If traditional

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biomass is not considered (second row), the shares in primary energy and final energy
decrease to 7 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively. The third set of shares (last row) lists theshares of renewable energy without traditional biomass and if only small hydropower isconsidered. In this case, the share of renewable energy is reduced to 4.6 per cent in electricity
generation and 8.0 per cent in electricity capacity.
17. All types of hydropower are renewable energy, but references to “new renewable energy”
usually include only small hydropower plants with capacities of less than 50 MW 6 . Smallhydropower is considered critical for many developing countries and it is usually reported andtracked separately in policy and market contexts. Many financiers and development assistanceagencies consider only small hydropower as eligible for renewable portfolio standards, feedin-tariffs and tax credits. Also many countries define renewable targets based on smallhydropower to focus on the dynamic growth and features of markets for wind, solar,
bioenergy, geothermal and other new renewable energy sources 7 .
18. Figure 1 presents the shares of different renewable energy sources in global renewableelectric power capacity. Total hydropower has by far the largest share followed by wind andthe rest of renewable sources accounting for less than 9 per cent. When only small hydropower
is considered, wind’s share is 50 per cent followed by small hydropower, biomass and solar(see Figure 2).
Figure 1: Shares of global renewable electricity power capacity, 2010
Wind, 15.0%
Biom ass, 4.7%
Geotherm al,
0.8%
Ocean, 0.02%
Solar, 3.2%
Hydro, 76.3%,

Source: REN21, “Renewables 2011: global status report” (Paris, REN21 secretariat, 2011).

6
7Some references define small hydropower as plants with less than 10 MW capacity.
REN21, “Renewables 2010: global status report” (Paris, REN21 secretariat, 2010).

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Figure 2: Shares of global renewable electric power capacity (only small hydro), 2010
Geothermal, 3%
Solar, 11%
Small hydro ,20%

Wind, 50%

Biomass, 16%
Ocean, 0.1%

Source: The Pew Charitable Trusts, Who’s winning the Clean Energy Race? 2010 edition
Philadelphia, 2011.

19. The growth of renewable energy capacity and biofuel production in the 2005-2010 period
is illustrated in Figure 3. Most of the new and renewable sources of energy grew at anaccelerated pace. Solar capacity experienced the fastest growth with 81 per cent for solar
photovoltaic (PV) connected to the grid and 77 per cent for concentrated solar power (CSP).
Figure 3: Average annual growth rate of renewable energy capacity and biofuel
production, five-year period (2005-2010) and 2010
49

Solar PV72
60

Solar PV grid8127Wind pow er

25
25

CSP
Geotherm al pow er

43

Hydropow er

3
3

77

2005-2010, 5-year period

2010 Only

16
16

Solar w ater/heating

23

Ethanol prod

17
38

Biodiesel prod.

7
0

30

%

60

90

Source: REN21, “Renewables 2011: global status report” (Paris, REN21 secretariat, 2011).

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20. China is leading the world in installed new renewable energy capacity, followed by theUnited States (see Figure 4) 8 . Other developing countries with relatively large capacities
include Brazil, India and Turkey. In addition, China also has been leading in terms of growthin the last five years, followed by the Republic of Korea and Turkey. The industry is being
supported in these countries by accelerated private investments, consistent and stable
government energy policies and advances in technologies that are being translated into cost
reductions.
Figure 4: Countries with largest installed new renewable energy capacity
by 2010 (GW) and 2005-2010 capacity growth
120%

88%

120
100

85%

80%

80

67%

60

60%
42% 42%

45%

45%
39%

40%

40

31%

30%

China

U.S.

Germany

Spain

Japan

India

Italy

Brazil0France0%Turkey20

Rep. of Korea

20%

2010 Capacity (GW)

GW

100%

106%

2005‐2010 growth (average annual), %Source: The Pew Charitable Trusts, Who’s winning the Clean Energy Race? 2010 edition,
Philadelphia, 2011. Note: data excludes large hydropower.

21. Cost estimate comparisons of energy technologies vary considerably and depend on manyfactors and assumptions that affect the calculations. In 2011, REN21 published costs forrenewable energy technologies from a variety of sources, including IEA, the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory of the United States and the World Bank (see Table 3). These
costs are economic costs, exclusive of subsidies or policy incentives.
22. The costs of some renewable energy technologies are now competitive with the costs of
conventional energy technologies generally estimated to be 4-10 cents per kWh. 9 Onshorewind, biomass and geothermal for power generation are becoming competitive in some world
regions. Biomass, some solar and geothermal are also competitive for hot water and heating,and ethanol for transportation. Most alternatives for off-grid applications in rural areas are still
8

The Pew Charitable Trusts, Who’s winning the Clean Energy Race? 2010 edition, Philadelphia, 2011.
REN21, “Renewable energy potentials in large economies,” Paris, 2008; IPCC, Special
Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation, New York, 2011.
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too expensive. The high costs of these technologies, in addition to other importantdevelopment and transfer barriers, indicate the need for more support to promote renewableenergy in rural areas.
23. Nevertheless, technology improvements and innovation are allowing a rapid downward
trend in the costs of most renewable energy technologies. Solar photovoltaic modules per MW
prices have fallen 60 per cent since 2008. In some countries solar has been reported to becompetitive with other options in electricity retail prices. Wind turbine prices are also down 18
per cent since 2008 10 . The expectation is that this trend will continue.
Table 3: Costs of renewable energy technologies

Technology
Power generation
Large hydro10-18,000
(MW)

3-5

Small hydroOnshore wind

1-10 MW
1.5-3.5 MW

5-12
5-9

Offshore wind

1.5-5 MW

10-20

Biomass

1-20 MW

5-12

Geothermal

1-100 MW

4-7

Rooftop solar
photovoltaic

2-5 kW-peak
capacity
200 kW to 100
MW50-500 MW(trough)
10-20 MW(tower)17-34

Concentrating
solar
power
Hot water/heating
Biomass heat

10

Typicalenergy costs
Typical(US cents/kcharacteristics
Wh)

1-20 MW

Comments
Currently one of thelowest-cost energy
technologies
Blade diameter: 60-100
metresBlade diameter: 70-125
metresTypes: binary, single- anddouble-flash, natural
steam

15-30
14-18

Costs for trough plants;
costs decrease as plantsize increases; a rapidly
maturing technology

1-6

Most cost-competitive
renewable energy
technology for heating

UNEP/ BNEF, Global trends in renewable energy investment 2011, Paris, 2011.

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Technology
Solar

Geothermal

Biofuels
Ethanol

Biodiesel

Typicalenergy costs
Typical(US cents/kcharacteristics
Wh)
2-5m²
(household)
20-200m²(medium /multi family)
0.5-2 MWth(large/district
heating)
1-10 MW

Sugar cane,sugar beets,
corn, cassava,
wheat
Sorghum (andcellulose in
future)Soy, rapeseed,mustard seed,jatropha, palm,
wastevegetable oils

Rural (off-grid)energyMini-hydro100-1,000 kW
Micro-hydro1-100 kW
Pico-hydro0.1-1 kW
Biogas gasifier
20-5,000 kW
Household wind0.1-3 kWturbineVillage-scale mini 10-1,000 kW
grid
Solar home system 20-100 watts

2-20
1-15

Comments
Household Medium
Large Types: evacuatedtube, flat-plate

1-8

0.5-2

Applied for heating andcooling;
Types: heat pumps, directuse, chillers

30-50
cents/litre(sugar)Gasoline equivalent

60-80
cents/litre(corn)
40-80
cents/litre

Gasoline equivalent

Diesel equivalent

5-12
7-30
20-40
8-12
15-35
25-10040-60

Source: REN21, “Renewables 2011: global status report” (Paris,
REN21 Secretariat, 2011).

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24. Technological innovations are anticipated in CSP and photovoltaic technologies andrelated manufacturing processes, enhanced geothermal systems, multiple emerging ocean
technologies, advanced biofuels and biorefining, and foundation and turbine designs foroffshore wind energy 11 .
25. The use of renewable energy also allows additional benefits that support the universal andnational goals for sustainable development. One of the social areas in which renewable energy
can provide added value is employment. Although some of the studies available differ on themagnitude of net employment generated, investment in renewable energy has been shown tocreate two to three times more jobs than investment in conventional energy. Globally it isestimated that there are about 3.5 million direct jobs in renewable energy industries. In 2009
and 2010 about one million jobs were created by the renewable energy industry 12 13 .
26. Another important area of extreme importance for sustainable development is water.
Renewable energy technologies using dry-cooling are not as vulnerable as conventional watercooled thermal power plants (including nuclear plants) to conditions of water scarcity andclimate change. The management of water resources represents a very important issue insustainable development.
B. Prospects
Investments
27. The market for new and renewable sources of energy is becoming very dynamic.
Financing of global clean energy grew 30 per cent from 2009 to 2010 with investments
totaling a record $211 billion 14 . OECD countries and large emerging economies like China,
India and Brazil are now becoming leaders with stable long-term national policies attracting
record investments. China’s investment in clean energy in 2010 represents a record at $48.9
billion and the highest followed by Germany and the United States (see Figure 5). The top
investment in 2010 continued to be for wind power at $94.7 billion followed by solar at $26.1
billion.
28. Countries are following different strategies in their investments. The United States has thehighest investment in venture capital which is for the early stage of the technology
development cycle with the objective of capitalizing later. Europe has concentrated on
stimulus for demand using regulatory policies such as feed-in-tariffs to meet targets which
promote renewable electricity generation. Asia is trying to capture the supply chain oftechnologies such as photovoltaic modules and wind turbines
11

IPCC, Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation, New York, 2011.
REN21, “Renewables 2011: global status report”, (Paris, REN21 Secretariat, 2011).
13
World Bank, “Design and performance of policy instruments to promote the development of renewableenergy: emerging experience in selected developing countries,” EMSB, 2011.
14
UNEP/ BNEF, Global trends in renewable energy investment 2011, Paris, 2011.
12

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50
45
40
35
30

2010

ia
In
d

an
ce
Fr

in
Sp
a

da
Ca
na

Br
az
il

Ita
ly

y
m
an
Ge
r

Ch

U.
S.

25
20
15
10
5
0

in
a

Billion dollars

Figure 5: Top countries in clean energy investment (billions of dollars)

2009

Source: UNEP/ BNEF, Global trends in renewable energy investment 2011, Paris, 2011.The Pew Charitable
Trusts, Who’s winning the Clean Energy Race? 2010 edition, Philadelphia, 2011.

29. During the global crisis of 2008 and 2009, members of the G-20 established stimulus
funds for over $194 billion which had long-term strategic significance for green growth andthe clean energy sector. Table 4 presents the status of these funds at the end of 2010. About 49
per cent of the stimulus funds have been spent including $74.5 billion in 2010. Almost $100
billion are expected to be spent in the next few years.
30. A new report commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released in May 2011
ranks countries according to their share of GDP derived from green energy technologies.
Based on the national revenue from renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies,
Denmark ranks first with 3.1 per cent of its GDP; China is second with 1.4 per cent, followedby Germany, Brazil and Lithuania. China has the largest revenue of $64 billion. 15 .
Table 4: Clean energy stimulus funds, end of 2010 (billions of dollars)Country
United States
China
Rep. of Korea
Germany
Rest of EU 27
15

Total
Announced
65
46.1
32.1
15.2
11.1

Total
Spent
23.2
31.9
11.8
8.9
4.2

Total
Remaining
41.8
14.2
20.4
6.3
6.9

Percent
Spent
36
69
37
59
38

Associated Press, “Denmark tops list of clean technology producers,” 8 May 2011.

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Japan
Australia
UnitedKingdom
BrazilFranceSpain
Canada
TOTAL

10.4
3.7
3.4

8.9
1.6
1.1

1.5
2.1
2.3

86
44
34

2.5
2.1
1.7
0.8
194.3

0.2
2.1
0.6
0.13
94.8

2.3
0
1.1
.65
99.5

7
100
36
17
49

Sources: UNEP/BNEF, Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2011. The Pew Charitable Trusts,
Who’s winning the Clean Energy Race?, 2010 edition, Philadelphia, 2011.

Renewable energy scenarios
31. A variety of long-term energy scenarios have been developed by different institutions thatprovide projections for renewable energy in primary energy, final energy, electricity
generation and electric generating capacity. The estimates vary greatly from shares in primaryenergy remaining at the same level they are now (around 13 per cent) throughout 2035 to 95
per cent by 2050.
32. The IEA in its WEO 2010 considers three scenarios: (1) Current Policies, (2) New
Policies, and (3) 450 part per million (ppm). These scenarios project that, by 2035, renewable
shares will range between 15 per cent and 26 per cent for primary energy, 23 per cent and 34
per cent for final energy, 23 per cent and 46 per cent for electricity generation and 31 per centto 54 per cent for electricity capacity.
33. The IPCC in its 2011 special report on renewable energy indicated that a significant
increase in the deployment of renewable energy by 2030, 2050 and beyond is shown in its
scenarios. A contribution of the renewable energy share in excess of 17 per cent in primaryenergy supply by 2030 and more than 27 per cent by 2050 is projected. The scenario with thehighest share of renewable energy in total primary energy projects 43 per cent by 2030 and 77
per cent by 2050. The IPCC estimates that global cumulative renewable energy investments
will be $1.36 to $5.1 billion up to 2020 and $1.5 to $7.2 billion for the decade 2021 to 203016 .
34. A 2011 WWF study concluded that the world can meet its energy demand by 2050 with a
95 per cent share of renewable energy but that, although technically feasible, this would facedifficult challenges. The scenario assumes significant improved energy efficiency andexpanded electrification as key to achieving this goal 17 . A 2011 report by Pricewaterhouse
Coopers (PwC), Potsdam Institute and IIASA evaluates progress in moving towards 100 per

16
17

IPCC, Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation, New York, 2011.
World Wildlife Fund, The energy report: 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, Washington DC, 2011.

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cent renewable electricity in Europe and North Africa by 2050 18 . The 2011 IEA Blue High
Renewable scenario projects 75 per cent of world electricity generation based on renewableenergy. 19

III. PROMOTION OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
A. National efforts
35. Countries are using different policies for promoting research, development,
demonstration, deployment and commercialization of new and renewable sources of energy.
Over 115 countries now have some type of policy support to promote renewable energy. Mostof these efforts are coordinated only at national levels. One example at the regional level is theEuropean Union which has advanced the goal of 20 per cent renewable energy in final energy
use by 2020.
36. Policies promoting renewable energy can be classified into: (1) regulatory policies, (2)fiscal incentives, (3) public finance mechanisms, and (4) climate-led policies. Regulatory
policies include feed-in-tariffs, quotas or portfolio standards, priority grid access, building
mandates, and biofuel blending requirements. Fiscal incentives refer to tax policies and directgovernment payments such as rebates and grants. Public finance includes mechanisms such asloans and guarantees. Climate-led efforts include carbon pricing mechanisms, cap and trade,emission targets, and others 20 .
37. Many countries are using a menu of policy incentives instead of a single policy approach.
Policy makers realize that these incentives need to be coherent, stable and designed for the
long-term to be able to attract the necessary funds for robust deployment and strong markets
that ultimately will reduce the cost of renewable energy.
38. The type of policy incentives varies by country, region and type of renewable source ofenergy that countries are promoting. Feed-in-tariffs represent one of the most common policies
being widely used in many countries, especially to promote renewable electricity generation.
39. Many of these incentive policies are associated with national targets which by 2010 havebeen announced in almost 100 countries. Targets are being defined in terms of renewable
shares in primary energy, final energy, electricity generation and electric capacity. Most
targets are defined for shares of electricity generation and typically aim at 10 per cent to 30 per
cent of renewable energy in total electricity generation within one or two decades. Morespecific targets are also being defined in terms of various technologies.
18

PwC, Potsdam Institute and IIASA, Moving towards 100 per cent renewable electricity in Europe andNorth Africa (London, PwC, 2011).
19
IEA, Climate & electricity annual: data and analysis, Paris, 2011.
20
IPCC, Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation, New York, 2011;
REN21, “Renewables 2010: global status report”, (Paris, REN21 Secretariat, 2010).

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40. A number of countries have been very successful in the promotion of renewable energy
through the use of coherent and stable policies. Germany, with a strong policy of feed-intariffs supporting investments in wind, solar and biomass, has been able to sustain an
accelerated growth in the use of renewable energy. In 2010, there was a sharp increase in
deployment of small-scale solar projects to about 9 GW of new solar capacity.
41. China is leading the world in installed new renewable energy capacity with an annual
five-year growth rate of 106 per cent. A combination of national clean energy policies,
including feed-in-tariffs for wind and subsidies for rooftop and building integrated PV solar,
has been very successful. China is also leading in manufacturing producing almost 50 per centof all wind turbines and solar module shipments. The Republic of Korea shows one of thehighest annual five-year growth rates in capacity (88 per cent). Its stimulus package of $32.2
billion is one of the most generous. Renewable energy is promoted by feed-in-tariffs, tax
exemptions for dividends and long-term loans for manufacturing facilities.
42. Brazil is using electricity generation subsidies and preferential loans to provide incentives
for the use of wind, small hydropower and biomass. Its key renewable energy sectors include
ethanol for transport with a production of 36 billion litres annually and biomass electric
capacity of about 8 GW. India is using different policy instruments to promote renewableenergy including feed-in-tariffs for wind and solar, accelerated depreciation for smallhydropower and biomass, and preferential tax rates for other renewable energy projects. Its
new renewable power capacity now totals 19 GW based on biomass, small hydropower andsolar.
B. International institutional arrangements and efforts
43. Organizations of the United Nations system continue to support the promotion andexpansion of new and renewable sources of energy in developing countries. Efforts during
2009 and 2010 have brought attention and awareness in particular to the important issue of
universal energy access, energy efficiency and the promotion of new and renewable sources ofenergy.
44. The United Nations Secretary General’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change(AGECC), created in 2009, called on the United Nations system and its Member States tosupport the goals of ensuring universal access to modern energy services and reducing energy
intensity by 40 per cent by 2030 21 .
45. UN-Energy, the inter-agency mechanism of the United Nations system, continues topromote system-wide collaboration in the area of energy with a coherent and consistent
approach. It is playing a pivotal role in promoting action and awareness of the importance ofenergy for sustainable development and is following up the work initiated by the AGECC.
21

UN, AGECC, Energy for a Sustainable Future, New York, April 2010.

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UN-Energy has been instrumental in defining three major goals to induce sustainable energy
for all. The goals, defined to be achieved by 2030, include: universal access to modern energy
services, a 40 per cent reduction in overall global energy intensity and an increase in the shareof renewable energy in primary energy to 30 per cent. UN-Energy is also promoting relevant
activities supporting the General Assembly’s resolution that declared 2012 as the“International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.”
46. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) or Rio+20
scheduled to take place in June 2012 will provide an opportunity to assess progress in thedevelopment and utilization of new and renewable sources of energy. The UNCSD has two
major themes: the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty
eradication, and the institutional framework for sustainable development. The role that
renewable energy technologies will play in sustainable development and poverty eradication
as well as the major challenges and barriers still faced by many developing countries in theeffective adoption of these technologies will be an important part of the debate at UNCSD.
Furthermore, UNCSD will represent an opportunity to establish global strategies for: (1)expanding access to clean energy, (2) enhancing energy efficiency, and (3) acceleratingworldwide deployment of renewable energy technologies.
International finance institutions
47. International financial institutions continue to play an important role in mobilizing
resources for the promotion of new and renewable energy. The World Bank Group providedloans for the energy sector totaling $13 billion during 2010. Lending for low-carbon energy
projects and programmes reached a record of over $5.5 billion. Since 2003, the World Bank
Group has invested about $17 billion in low-carbon projects, of which $14.2 billion have beenin renewable energy and energy efficiency. Excluding large hydropower, new renewableenergy investment contributed $4.9 billion.
48. In 2008, the World Bank established the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) which is acollaborative effort among multilateral development banks. As of 2010, contributors havepledged $6.4 billion in new funds. The Clean Technology Fund, which is a component of the
CIF, is designed to finance the scaling up of demonstration, deployment and transfer of clean
technologies including renewable energy technologies. The first group of projects includes
CSP, wind power, bus rapid transit and energy efficiency projects in 13 countries.
49. Regional development banks are also playing a crucial role promoting new and renewablesources of energy. The Inter-American Development Bank is planning to double its lending
capacity for clean energy to $3 billion annually by 2012. The African Development Bank has
made rural electrification a major priority, along with renewable energy development andmulti-national grid interconnections. Clean energy has become one of the highest priorities of
the Asian Development Bank with over 25 per cent of the total approved loans supporting
projects with clean energy components. The energy policy of the Asian Development Bank
has a target of annual lending for energy projects of $2 billion by 2013.
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50. Since 1991, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has provided financing for projects
totaling $8.8 billion, with additional $38.7 billion in co-financing. In 2010, the GEF received arecord finance boost from 30 donor countries of $4.25 billion for climate change adaptationand mitigation for the next four years. By the end of 2009, GEF had invested $1.1 billion in
renewable energy initiatives in almost 100 developing countries and economies in transition
with additional $8.3 billion in co-financing.
UNFCCC
51. The Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC), through the Expert Group on Technology Transfer, have been undertaking
analysis of the gaps and barriers to finance climate change technologies. A number of
mechanisms and initiatives to tackle climate change have emerged that support energy
technology cooperation and promote financing for new and renewable energy.
52. The sixteenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP16) in 2010 decided to establish a
Technology Mechanism with a Technology Executive Committee and the Climate Technology
Centre and Network. This Centre is designed to support the transfer of relevant technologies
including renewable energy technologies.
53. Elements in the agreement from COP16 include a total of $30 billion in fast finance fromindustrialized countries to support climate action in the developing world up to 2012 and theintention to raise $100 billion by 2020. In addition, the decision was made to establish a Green
Climate Fund.
54. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol of the UNFCCC is
designed to promote clean energy technology transfer to developing countries. It is expectedthat in 2012 about 61 per cent of the total number of CDM projects will be for renewableenergy projects. During COP16, the Parties decided to strengthen the CDM to drive major
investments and technology into environmentally sound and sustainable emission projects inthe developing world.
Other institutional arrangements
55. An important international institution promoting renewable energy is the International
Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) which was established in 2009. To date 148 states andthe European Union signed the Statute of the Agency. Its mandate promotes the widespreadand increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. IRENA will
facilitate access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical, economic
and renewable resource potential data. IRENA will share experiences on best practices andlessons learned regarding policy frameworks, capacity-building projects, available financemechanisms and renewable energy-related energy efficiency measures. Abu Dhabi has been
designated as the interim headquarters for IRENA.

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C. Options for coordinated global energy strategies
56. Although considerable progress has been made in technology development and transfer,investment and policy implementation, much more is needed to increase the contribution ofrenewable sources of energy and to secure the continuation of the current positive momentum
for a strong deployment. Additional coordinated strategies are necessary at the global level toadvance the transformation of the energy system especially in the poorest regions of the world
so that the goals of sustainable energy for all, increased energy efficiency and reductions incarbon emissions can be achieved.
Defining strategies and goals
57. There are a number of issues that need to be assessed while defining global energy
strategies, goals and targets. To move beyond the international agreed goals on energy, set out
in the decisions of the ninth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-9)
and the WSSD, a focus on specific actions and targets that could effectively help in theformulation of a more comprehensive road map to sustainable energy for all is needed.
58. The first issue is whether goals need to be defined in terms of primary energy, final
energy, electricity generation or electric capacity. This is important because the mechanisms
for promotion of renewable energy depend on the specific form of energy for which the goals
or targets have been selected. The choice of policies will depend on whether the main
objective is to promote new and renewable sources of energy at the first step of the energy
cycle (primary energy) or at the final step (final energy for the main sectors of the economy,e.g., household, industry, transport). Alternatively, since many countries are interested inrenewable technologies for electricity, goals may be defined in terms of electricity generation,
which would imply specific incentive policies for generation such as feed-in-tariffs, or interms of electric capacity which would stress the need for substantial investment for building
the infrastructure to ensure the right generation.
59. Another issue is whether goals are based on all renewable energy including traditional
biomass. Without the traditional unsustainable biomass, the current renewable share inprimary energy is only 7 per cent. Also, if new renewable energy is defined excluding largehydropower, then the shares of global electricity generation of 19 per cent and electric
capacity of 27 per cent (see Table 1) drop to only 4.6 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively. The
decision would allow establishing the most relevant points of departure in the process towards
a particular goal or target.
60. Probably the most important issue is whether goals should be defined separately fordeveloped and developing countries. A close look at these two groups indicates that theircircumstances, motivations and objectives are sufficiently different as to justify separate goals.
Table 5 summarizes the difference between OECD countries and non-OECD countries interms of total population, population using traditional biomass, population without electricity,and per capita use of electricity.
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Table 5: Population (billions), and per capita electricity use (kWh/capita) 2008

Total Population (billion)
Pop. using traditional biomass (billion)
Pop. Without electricity (billion)
Per capita electricity use (kWh/cap)

World
6.7
2.7
1.4
3,000

OECD
1.2
~0
~0
8,900

Non-OECD
5.5
2.7
1.4
1,700

Source: IEA, World Energy Outlook 2010 (Paris, OECD/IEA, 2010).

61. OECD countries with 18 per cent of the world’s population (1.2 billion) consume 53 percent of the global electricity and 44 per cent of primary energy. The annual per capita
consumption of electricity is about 8,900 kWh or over five times the average for non-OECD
countries (1,700 kWh). Energy access is not an issue since these countries do not use
traditional biomass and are fully electrified. Future scenarios for energy demand in OECD
countries project that the growth will be relatively low as compared to the growth indeveloping countries. Therefore, the main motivations for increasing the use of new andrenewable sources of energy are energy supply diversification and environmental concerns
especially related to climate change. Another concern for the developed countries is theirchance to become leaders in the clean energy sector that would fuel their future green
economies.
62. For developed countries, then, the goals are mainly of substitution (instead of addition) ofrenewable energy for fossil fuel capacities and programmes for improved energy efficiency.
Most developed countries already have advanced programmes with ambitious goals andtargets and count on strong financial support to continue moving towards green economies andsustainable development. For these countries a coordinated global effort would add support tothe already ongoing transformation of their energy systems but it would not be essential.
63. Non-OECD countries with 82 per cent of the world’s population (5.5 billion) use 47 percent of the global electricity and 56 per cent of primary energy. For these countries the issue ofenergy access is indeed critical with almost 50 per cent of their population depending on
traditional biomass and 25 per cent without electricity. Over 83 per cent of the population
without access to modern energy services lives in rural communities. For developing countries
a global coordinated effort would be key to support sustainable development goals.
64. Therefore, in most developing countries the main motivations are to guarantee the accessof modern energy services to large segments of their population, especially those living inrural areas, and to satisfy expected dramatic energy demand growth. For developing countries
new additions of renewable energy capacities are major priorities. For the segment of the
population in non-OECD countries with energy access, substitution and efficiency, like inOECD countries, are also important priorities, as well as additional capacity to satisfy major
increases in energy demand.

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65. Using primary energy as the basis for a target is a meaningful approach to assess progressin the main goal of moving 2.7 billion people from using traditional biomass to sustainable
modern forms of renewable energy. In terms of shares, out of the 18 per cent renewableenergy share in primary energy of non-OECD countries in 2008 only 7 per cent is related to
non-traditional biomass. An initial target could be to at least replace the traditional biomass toachieve a truly sustainable renewable energy share of 18 per cent. In terms of electricity
generation, an initial goal could be to provide renewable electricity to 1.4 billion people
currently without access. Decentralized electric systems seem to be most appropriate for the
85 per cent who live in rural areas without electricity.
A coordinated global energy strategy for consideration
66. A coordinated global energy strategy could be designed to benefit developing countries
and in particular the population still using traditional biomass and without access to electricity.
The strategy needs to be defined taking into consideration three major factors: (1) about 85 percent of the people without access to modern energy services live in rural areas; (2) most rural
areas are isolated and demand decentralized systems; and (3) almost all rural off-grid
renewable energy technologies are still too expensive even though they have been recognized
as the most sustainable options for many developing regions.
67. This global strategy would support the specific goals defined by the UN-Energy onuniversal access to modern energy services by 2030 while at the same time promoting the useof new and renewable sources of energy. The specific goals would be the replacement oftraditional unsustainable biomass by advanced biomass and biogas systems and fullelectrification with new and renewable sources of energy.
68. The strategy could include four major objectives: (1) to develop systems and products
specifically designed to address the need of the poorest segment of the population; (2) toreduce the cost of rural off-grid technologies to levels that could compete with conventionalenergy options; (3) to implement innovative mechanisms to further lower the costs to theincome levels of the target population; and (4) to support capacity building and technicalcooperation programmes that would allow creation of stable markets for new and renewableenergy in developing regions particularly in rural areas.
69. Almost all rural off-grid technology options -- including micro hydropower, biogas
gasifiers, household wind turbine, village-scale mini grid and solar home systems -- are too
expensive. A major reduction of the cost of these decentralized systems would be necessary
for the coordinated global energy effort to be effective.
70. Specific inexpensive products and systems for households, local industries, and services
need to be designed, developed and customized for markets in developing regions and for thecommunities with the lowest incomes. The systems and products need to be reliable andaffordable and have to respond to the specific needs and practical applications according tolocal traditions and life styles.
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71. Cost reductions need to be realized for both the capital cost necessary to acquire andinstall the systems, and for their corresponding operating and maintenance costs. Threemechanisms are envisioned to support the cost reduction goals: (1) a coordinated effort byinternational R&D institutions to provide innovations that can make the systems more
efficient, practical and cheaper; (2) international and national programmes in the form oftechnology funds and subsidies to lower the capital cost of the systems ensuring theiraffordability at the lowest income levels; and (3) policies in the form of regulations, fiscal
incentives and public finance mechanisms that will allow affordable operating andmaintenance costs.
72. Research and development activities specifically defined to reduce the cost of rural offgrid technologies can be performed in regional or national technology centres that can beestablished in developing regions. These centres could benefit from local and endogenous
knowledge as well as advances in technology innovation directed to increase efficiency andreduce costs and would provide support in all phases of the innovation process from systemdevelopment to full market deployment. The dedicated centres would serve as regionalinnovation hubs that would develop renewable energy systems shaped by regional and local
needs and rooted in local context.
73. Furthermore financial instruments such as micro-finance initiatives and other innovative
mechanisms will be necessary at the national level so that these technologies remain below a
threshold and can be afforded by the people with the lowest incomes. These mechanisms
supported by an international global strategy will allow the development of stable andcoherent markets for the long-run of these technologies.
74. The cost to the consumers of such a global initiative should be based on energy poverty
indicators related to the share of income used for fuels and electricity. Although there is noconsensus yet in such indicators, a household energy affordability limit of no more than 10 per
cent of income could be considered 22 . Assuming that the populations at the lowest income
levels have an average income of no more than $2 per day, this corresponds to 20 cents perday. Further assuming that a person needs at least about 3 to 4 kWh a day23 , the highest cost of
the overall energy systems that can be afforded by the target population would be about five to
six cents per kWh of energy equivalent. A coordinated global initiative would need to be
designed to cover the cost above such maximum affordable threshold.
75. The global coordinated effort would also need to address the fundamental requirements
for statistical data and indicators still unavailable in many developing countries. Substantial
financial resources, capacity building and institutional changes are necessary to build

22

See for example: Jill Insley, “Fuel poverty figures are understated, says consumer body,” Guardian,London, 14 July 2011; Department of Energy and Climate Change, Full Poverty Methodology Handbook,London, October 2010.
23
UN, AGECC, Energy for a Sustainable Future, April 2010.

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statistical programmes that would allow the monitoring of progress and the development ofintegrated energy planning strategies for the long-run.

IV. CONCLUSIONS
76. The accelerated deployment of renewable technologies over the last five years indicatesthe potential for a significant role in the future. Record investments are being made bycountries to propel innovation, development, and commercialization of these technologies.
Furthermore, some countries are competing for leadership positions in markets for thetechnologies perceived to be the ones that will power the green economies of the future.
77. Nevertheless, the contribution of new and renewable sources of energy to the global
energy system is still very limited. Furthermore, for many developing countries the lack ofaccess to modern energy services and low-carbon technologies represents one of the mostimportant factors affecting the achievement of their sustainable development goals.
78. The boom in the growth of the renewable energy industry has not been balanced. Most of
the growth is taking place in developed countries and in some developing countries with large
emerging economies. Many poor countries, with large rural populations, have only seen
relatively low growth in the use and commercialization of these technologies.
79. New renewable sources of energy such as on-shore wind, geothermal, small hydropowerand biomass are now becoming competitive in some world regions. Others such as solar
photovoltaic and CSP are still too expensive but their costs are dropping rapidly.
Unfortunately, the costs of most rural off-grid renewable energy including solar home systems
and village-scale mini grids, have remained high.
80. Although the world is facing major financial austerity programmes, the coherent andstable national policies supporting renewable energy should stay in place, expand to othercountries, and extend for a considerable number of additional years. Market mechanisms arenecessary to ensure: (1) further reduction of the cost of technologies; (2) establishment of
secure and stable markets; and (3) progress in the transformation of the global energy system
towards low-carbon economies.
81. Main motivations for a strong deployment of new and renewable sources of energy inmost developing countries is to guarantee access of modern energy services to everyone and tosatisfy expected rapid demand increases. The access is seen as indispensable to accelerate themovement towards green economies within the context of poverty eradication and sustainable
development. Cheap and decentralized systems are major incentives for these countries, since
their rural populations are the most affected. Other major concerns for both developing anddeveloped countries are diversification of energy supplies and reduction of climate change
impacts.

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82. Challenging but achievable goals and specific but meaningful targets can contribute to thepromotion of new and renewable sources of energy. Given the differences in factors affecting
the energy systems of developing and developed countries, separate but coordinated energy
strategies may be more effective. According to the specific goals, targets may be defined interms of shares in primary energy, final energy, electricity generation and electricity capacity.
Furthermore, how the targets are defined will allow determining the most effective incentive
mechanisms for the promotion of new and renewable sources of energy.
83. A coordinated global energy strategy is necessary especially to support developing
countries particularly the poorest. The effort should concentrate on solutions for the rural areasthat are the most affected by the use of traditional biomass and by the lack of electricity.
Support at the international level is necessary to help remove financial, technological,
infrastructural and institutional barriers to be able to create enabling environments.
84. Reducing the high cost of decentralized systems for rural applications should be one of
the main cores of any major coordinated global energy strategy. Specific targets andprogrammes are required to enable the right environment to induce sustainable energy for therural populations of the world.
85. There is a need to establish regional and national technology centres to develop systems
and products specifically designed to address local needs at the appropriate levels of income
and to benefit from endogenous capacities and local knowledge. The global strategy needs toinclude a strong component on statistical data and the development of integrated programmes
for long-term energy planning.
86. International institutional arrangements including the different organizations of the UN
system, international financial institutions and international organizations such as IRENA
continue playing an important role in promoting international cooperation through capacity
building and technical cooperation. UN-Energy is leading global efforts to create awarenessand coordinate activities undertaken by the United Nations to secure sustainable energy for all,to increase the share of renewable energy and to reduce the intensity of energy use.
87. New and renewable sources of energy represent a major priority issue for the United
Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) of 2012 or Rio+20. Strengthening
the global institutional framework for the promotion of new and renewable sources of energy
in line with the two themes of UNCSD is an important objective. UNCSD represents anopportunity to secure renewed international support for the promotion and effective use of new
and renewable sources of energy.

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