Director of the International Energy Agency: Accelerating the transition to clean energy

Against the backdrop of the approaching Glasgow Climate Change Conference and the turmoil in the global energy market, the World Energy Outlook 2021 report released by the International Energy Agency on the 13th local time has attracted attention from all parties
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The report pointed out that the progress of the global clean energy transition is "too slow" to complete climate change-related commitments on time, which also contains greater risks of energy price fluctuations
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Birol, Director of the International Energy Agency, said in an exclusive interview with a reporter from China Central Radio and Television that day, he hoped that the report could inject impetus into countries to speed up the transition to clean energy and make people truly aware of the crux of the current energy market turmoil
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Birol said the problem of energy shortages and rising prices for some time was caused by multiple factors
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In particular, the economic recovery that relies on fossil fuels, extreme weather in many parts of the world, and predictable and unexpected energy supply shortages have jointly affected the balance of supply and demand
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Economic growth, population growth, and the pursuit of a better way of life will all drive up energy demand, yet the apparent underinvestment in the world to meet future energy needs will create more turbulence in the energy market
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Birol therefore called on governments to introduce incentives for investment in clean energy technologies and related infrastructure
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To achieve a smooth energy transition, global investment in clean energy must triple over the next 10 years
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Birol, Director of the International Energy Agency: Some countries have done well.
We have seen the development of hydropower in Europe
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Looking at China, whether it is photovoltaic, wind power, hydropower, or new energy vehicles, it ranks first in the world, so many countries are investing in clean energy
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It's just that more needs to be done, not just these countries, but more countries should join in
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The "World Energy Outlook 2021" report pointed out that another reason why the world must intensify the energy transition is that the current emission reduction commitments made by countries are not enough to achieve the goal of controlling temperature rise
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According to the International Energy Agency, even if countries can fully meet their commitments on time, the global average temperature will still rise by 2.
1 degrees Celsius by 2100, exceeding the established target of 1.
5 degrees Celsius
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Birol said that the choice to release the report on the eve of the Glasgow Climate Change Conference is precisely to let countries know the direction of their efforts and to encourage all countries to jointly fill the emission reduction gap
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IEA Director Birol: About 80% of the growth in carbon emissions will come from emerging markets and developing countries, I look forward to during and after the Glasgow Climate Change Conference, those developed Countries can provide financial support to emerging markets and developing countries, allowing them to use the money as a catalyst to attract more clean energy investment
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China's announcement that it will no longer build new overseas coal power projects is of great significance

The IEA also cautioned in the report that this year saw the second-highest annual increase in carbon dioxide emissions on record, driven by sharp increases in coal and oil consumption
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The firmness of fossil fuels in the energy mix will counteract the speed of the energy transition
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Birol especially emphasized that China's announcement that it will no longer build new overseas coal power projects will be of great significance to promoting green and low-carbon development of energy
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Birol, head of the International Energy Agency: This means that coal power projects with an installed capacity of up to 190 gigawatts will be cancelled
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Converted into carbon dioxide emission reductions, the cumulative reduction can reach 20 gigatons, which is equivalent to the total emission reduction planned by the EU in the next 30 years
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What an amazing move China has made, and I hope this momentum in China can continue
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