The first-ever Global Renewables Summit, co-hosted by leading international organizations and governments, will address the urgent need for expanded renewable energy deployment, particularly in emerging markets and developing economies.
Today, the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) and Bloomberg Philanthropies, in collaboration with the governments of Barbados and Kenya, the European Commission, the COP28 and COP29 Presidencies, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University – SIPA, have announced the inaugural Global Renewables Summit. This pioneering high-level public-private event aims to address the progress, opportunities, and challenges of tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030. Scheduled to take place in New York from September 23-25, the Summit will coincide with the 79th UN General Assembly High-Level Week.
In the wake of the first Global Stocktake adopted at COP28 and the historic UAE Consensus, which mandates a tripling of global renewable energy capacity and doubling of energy efficiency by 2030, the Summit will provide a crucial platform for advancing key actions necessary for scaling up renewable energy deployment, especially in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). This unique coalition of governments, private sector entities, philanthropic organizations, international bodies, and academic institutions underscores a collective momentum towards accelerating the renewable energy transition.
Antha Williams, who leads the environment program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, emphasized the importance of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy in combating the climate crisis. “The world must triple renewable energy by 2030. Rapidly scaling up deployment in emerging and developing economies is crucial to curb emissions and protect people’s health and our economies from the worst effects of climate change,” she stated.
Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance, highlighted the necessity for urgent action following the global target set at COP28. “Renewable technologies are mature and competitive, and the industries are ready to deliver, but the right policy frameworks and implementation are now urgently required. We are honored to co-host this unique public-private summit to ignite a worldwide race to the top,” he said.
The Summit will feature an opening segment with government participation followed by high-level multi-stakeholder roundtables on key topics such as access to finance, supply chains, permitting, and grid infrastructure. It will also serve as a venue for governments to deliberate on the target of increasing global energy storage six-fold by 2030 and consider including sectoral renewable energy targets in their Nationally Determined Contributions due in 2025.
Ali Mohamed, Special Envoy for Climate Change from Kenya, expressed the country’s commitment to the summit’s goals. “This Summit marks a pivotal moment to showcase progress and galvanize partners in a renewed effort to achieve our climate goals, including the ambitious target of increasing Africa’s renewable generation capacity fivefold by 2030,” he noted.
Senator Lisa Cummins, Minister of Energy and Business for Barbados, highlighted the need for inclusive energy transition strategies. “As we transition to renewable sources of energy, we must ensure that small island developing states are fully integrated into global energy supply chains and have access to affordable financing,” she said.
Adnan Amin, CEO of COP28, and Yalchin Rafiyev, Chief Negotiator of COP29, both stressed the importance of platforms like the Global Renewables Summit in fostering collaboration and advancing global renewable energy initiatives.
Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, and Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO of SEforALL, underscored the necessity of accelerating renewable energy deployment to meet the 2030 goals. La Camera emphasized that IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook calls for tripling renewable power capacity to over 11,000 GW globally by 2030, while Ogunbiyi welcomed the Summit as a critical moment for achieving the global renewables target.