Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP 16:31 p.m., December 01, 2023

Present in Dubai for COP28, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that more than 110 countries want to adopt the goal of tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. "We will send a strong message to investors and consumers," she added.

More than 110 countries want to see COP28 adopt the goal of tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Dubai on Friday. The European Union had launched an appeal in this direction in the spring, supported by the Emirati presidency of COP28 and then successively assumed by the G7 and G20 countries (80% of global greenhouse gas emissions).

"Sending a strong message to investors and consumers"

"Today, our call has turned into a powerful movement. More than 110 countries have already joined," von der Leyen said at the podium. "I invite you all to include these objectives in the final decision of the COP", "we will send a strong message to investors and consumers", she added. This objective is a negotiating point that is both parallel to and closely linked to the much more difficult discussions on the reduction or even the exit from fossil fuels.

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Illustrating this tension: when the G20 pledged in September to "encourage efforts" to achieve this goal, its final declaration remained silent on the fate of fossil fuels. The tripling of renewable energies (wind, solar, hydroelectricity, biomass, etc.) is the first driver of carbon neutrality scenarios. If the world wants to stay below 1.5°C of warming compared to the pre-industrial period, it is "the most important lever" to replace coal, gas and oil, the International Energy Agency (IEA) points out.

Progress is already being made. From 2015 to 2022, renewable installations grew by an average of 11% each year. And against a backdrop of soaring oil and gas prices and energy insecurity linked to the war in Ukraine, the IEA expects unprecedented growth in 2023 (+around 30%). Not all countries will have to make the same efforts, the Ember think tank points out in an analysis that considers the target "achievable": some are already on a doubling trajectory. Others, major emitters (Australia, Japan, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, etc.), have room for improvement.