G7 ministers set big targets for solar and wind capacity

The world's seven most powerful economies have agreed to accelerate the expansion of renewables

On Sunday, the environment ministers from the G7 countries reached an agreement to speed up the shift towards renewable energy. They pledged to swiftly increase the usage of solar and wind power, but refrained from specifying a definite schedule for the phase-out of fossil fuels. 

According to the official communiqué, the ministers from the top seven global economies, known as the G7, made a promise to boost the adoption of renewable energy across the world while simultaneously reducing its cost. They also vowed to augment the offshore wind capacity by 150 gigawatts and elevate the solar power capacity to over 1 terawatt by 2030.

"In the midst of an unprecedented energy crisis, it's important to come up with measures to tackle climate change and promote energy security at the same time," Japanese industry minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told a news conference.

"While acknowledging that there are diverse pathways to achieve carbon neutral, we agreed on the importance of aiming for a common goal toward 2050," he said.

'Huge statements'

"The solar and wind commitments are huge statements to the importance that they will rely on the energy superpowers of solar and wind in order to phase out fossil fuels," said Dave Jones, who is head of data insights at energy think tank Ember.

"Hopefully this will provide a challenge to Japan, for which offshore wind is the missing part of the jigsaw that could see its power sector decarbonise much quicker than it thought possible."

A target date of 2040 has been set for reducing additional plastic pollution to zero, bringing the target forward by a decade.

Share

Featured Articles

Inaugural trans-Atlantic flight highlights SAF importance

Virgin Atlantic’s first 100% SAF-powered flight from London to New York leads the way towards greener aviation fuels for long-haul journeys

IBM collaboration to boost fuel cell performance using GenAI

FuelCell Energy’s performance is set to be enhanced by Foundation Models, a form of GenAI developed by IBM, in support of transition to renewable energy

Schneider Electric exec shuffle boosts energy digitalisation

Number one sustainable company, as voted by Sustainability Magazine, Schneider Electric appointed leaders to manage the digitalisation of energy solutions

ManpowerGroup initiative aligns talent with renewable energy

Renewable Energy

Rolls-Royce develops SMRs for a low-carbon energy future

Sustainability

Chevron’s hydrogen investment and green energy endeavours

Renewable Energy