Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation. Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

This Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report regarding renewable energy and mitigation provides a comprehensive overview of the costs, benefits and future potential of the different renewable sectors. With contributions from hundreds of experts, the result is an extensive literature and technical assessment, including specific studies and policy-relevant information. Renewable energy technologies are examined in depth, covering the social costs, current market status and potential of six different sectors: bio-energy (produced by a variety of sources including forest and livestock residues and municipal solid waste etc), direct solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, ocean energy and wind energy. The report then moves on to matters of integration, discussing the strategic use of renewable technologies to help mitigate emissions in transport, construction and agriculture. The potential for their use in sustainable development is also focused on in depth, including the social, environmental and economic impacts, their potential and the possible barriers to be overcome. One such barrier-type in particular is highlighted as crucial: those linked with societal and personal values that affect the perception and acceptance of renewable energy. This requires a greater emphasis on objective communication efforts. The paper concludes with a review of over 160 scenarios, with four analysed thoroughly and the potential costs of renewable energy deployment discussed. Current trends in renewable energy support policies, finance and investment are then examined, together with current examples and the importance of an enabling environment for policy success.