Bruce Douglas is CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance, a trade group representing industry leaders in the clean energy sector. His “double down, triple up” campaign sparked an international conversation about the role of renewable energy in climate mitigation that culminated in one of the biggest success stories to come out of last year’s COP28 climate summit: a new pledge from 118 countries to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030. This ambitious goal has quickly become a key milepost for the world’s progress in the energy transition.

What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government (other than your own), needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?

We must triple global renewable energy capacity to 11,000 gigawatts by 2030. Rapidly increasing renewable energy, combined with action on storage and grid integration, is one of the fastest, most cost-effective and secure ways to reduce emissions and transition away from fossil fuels in this crucial decade. Accelerated roll-out of renewable technologies would mean that demand for coal, oil and natural gas could all peak this decade, even without any new climate policies. Renewables are keeping the door open to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Yet, despite record-breaking growth, renewable deployment is still way below the net-zero pathway and the global target to triple renewable energy by 2030.

There are thousands of gigawatts of renewable energy and grid projects ready to be built or connected today, but they are delayed by complicated and outdated permitting processes. Faster permitting and grid integration are critical to accelerating the build out of renewable projects immediately. Simple low- or no-cost solutions that could be implemented include shorter approval timelines, combined with auto-approvals, digital applications, streamlined processes, one-stop-shops, and an increase in staff numbers to process applications.

This must be done in consultation with local communities and with respect to nature and biodiversity. It is also vital to share the benefits of renewables with the communities, engaging them early in discussions, explaining the details, and sharing the financial benefits.

What’s the most important climate legislation that could pass in the next year?

Political leaders face a huge opportunity to drive investment and accelerate the clean energy transition over the next 12 months by setting specific and actionable renewable energy legislation in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Governments are obliged to update their NDCs by February 2025. They can choose to deliver change by including renewable energy capacity targets and enabling policy reforms that are:

-Ambitious: aligned with the global stocktake outcome and 1.5°C pathways.

-Specific: include quantifiable, renewable energy capacity targets for 2030 and 2035.

-Actionable: underpinned by robust energy, resource, and investment plans and legislation that provide certainty to the industry and finance sector.

Setting renewable energy targets in NDCs and integrated energy plans, aligned with broader emission reduction goals, can help close the ambition gap and chart a clear path to tripling renewable energy capacity, alongside the transition away from fossil fuels. We emphasize the need for plans that ensure the benefits of renewables are equitably distributed and that the process leaves no one behind. Grid infrastructure and energy storage targets and plans should also be recognised as critical elements in a swift and secure energy transition.

A decisive commitment from national governments to incorporate renewable energy targets into their NDCs, alongside building the enabling policy conditions, will offer long-term policy certainty, reduce investment risks, and encourage private sector participation. About 75% of renewable energy investments came historically from the private sector. Investors are more likely to commit substantial capital to projects when they have confidence in the stability and predictability of government policies.

If you could stand up and talk to world leaders at the next U.N. climate conference, what would you say?

Global commitments need national plans and urgent implementation. It is Time 4 Action. Governments should be congratulated for collectively making the significant pledge to triple global renewable energy capacity, double energy efficiency rates by 2030, and transition away from fossil fuels. This sends a very positive and powerful signal. We have the technology: Wind and solar power are now mature and cost competitive in most markets. But time is running out. Despite record-breaking growth in renewable capacity, deployment is still way too low. There is now an urgency to translate the global commitments into national plans, investment strategies, and local implementation to mobilize the required investments and deliver on our targets. 

The private sector is ready, but high interest rates, inflation, permitting delays, supply chain constraints, and policy uncertainty have made renewable projects less financially attractive. They have been moving from low risk, low return to higher risk, low return, while competing fossil fuel projects are moving in the other direction towards lower risk and higher returns. Investments and subsidies in fossil fuels are still increasing year on year, while favorable policies are not being implemented fast enough to make renewable energy projects bankable.

There is an urgent need to increase renewable energy investment – especially in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) – by mobilizing both public and private finance to deliver the $10 trillion required to triple renewables by 2030. Only 15% of clean energy investment last year was outside the U.S., EU and China and there are still around 700 million people without access to electricity.  Low- and middle-income countries must see a significant shift in financial flows to share in the benefits of the clean energy transition.

The powerful combination of short-term actions to unlock existing projects, combined with long-term, stable frameworks can help reduce risk, increase demand, and provide investor confidence for future projects. If the goals to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency can be met, we can secure 80% of the emissions reductions needed by 2030.