Energy Transition

The G20 accounts for 82% of global energy-related CO2 emissions – which constitutes the highest share of GHG emissions globally. Energy-related emissions primarily arise from fossil fuel combustion in electricity, heating, industry and transport sub-sectors. In 2018, total energy-related CO2 emissions grew by +1.8% in the G20, in line with a 2% annual growth rate in the total primary energy supply from fossil fuels.

Limiting global warming in line with the Paris Agreement goals will require a radical reduction in energy-related emissions. This calls for what is know as a global energy transition. Such a transition would involve a shift away from fossil fuels and the associated technologies, toward renewable and low carbon energy sources, across the economy.

The power sector accounts for 38% of energy-related emissions in the G20, followed by Industry 24%, Transport 20%, and the Building sector 9%. Due to the relative contribution of the power sector – as well as the interlinkages between the power system and other sectors – decarbonization in this sector is critical to the success of the energy transition.

Key interventions for the energy transition include:
– increasing energy efficiency;
– increasing the share of low-carbon and clean fuels;
– increasing low carbon and renewable power generation.

To arrest global warming at 1.5°, energy-related emissions must be cut by 40% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2060.

Climate Transparency partners are working in G20 countries towards this goal by:
– Providing analysis and recommendations on the energy transition and decarbonization across sectors;
– Involving decision makers and change agents to share learnings, discuss challenges and opportunities;
– Engage in cross-country learnings to increase awareness, knowledge and also capacity.

Click on the picture or the download button to read papers on energy transition:

CLIMATE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION CHECK: NATIONAL POLICIES THAT PROMOTE THE PHASE IN OF RENEWABLES AND THE PHASE OUT OF FOSSIL FUELS IN COLOMBIA IN ELECTRICITY GENERATION 

November 2023

CLIMATE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION CHECK: ELECTRICITY GRID EXPANSION POLICIES IN GERMANY IMPLEMENTATION, PARTICIPATION AND ACCEPTANCE

November 2023

CLIMATE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION CHECK: ACHIEVING NON-FOSSIL TARGET OF INDIA – EVOLUTION OF THE ECOSYSTEM

November 2023

CLIMATE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION CHECK: POLICY ASSESSMENT- RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN INDONESIA’S POWER SECTOR

November 2023

CLIMATE POLICY IMPLEMENTATION CHECK: DECARBONISATION IN THE BALANCE: ASSESSING SOUTH AFRICA’S ENERGY TRANSITION AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN

November 2023

G20 ACCELERATION CALL 2023 – FROM COAL TO RENEWABLES

September 2023

ARGENTINA

ACCELERATING THE ENERGY TRANSITION IN LATIN AMERICA HOW ARGENTINA, BRAZIL AND MEXICO ARE ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENERGY TRANSITION

February 2019

ASPECTOS SOCIO-AMBIENTALES DE LA TRANSICIÓN ENERGÉTICA EN LA ARGENTINA
November 2018

BRAZIL

ANÁLISE DOS INCENTIVOS POLÍTICO-ECONÔMICOS À ENERGIA EÓLICA NO BRASIL:
DESAFIOS E OPORTUNIDADES PARA A PROMOÇÃO DA TRANSIÇÃO ENERGÉTICA
September 2020

ENERGY TRANSITION IN BRAZIL
January 2019

MEXICO

ENERGY TRANSITION IN MEXICO:
A FAIR COAL PHASE-OUT FOR A PARIS COMPATIBLE SCENARIO IN MEXICO
November 2021

ENERGY TRANSITION IN MEXICO:
THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF ENERGY AND THE POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
June 2019

Click on the picture to download graphs related the topic of energy transition.

G20 total primary energy supply

Shares in 2018

Source: Enerdata 2019

The Brown to Green Report 2019

The energy mix in G20 countries, 2018

Annual growth rate of total primary energy supply from fossil fuels (2018)

Source: Enerdata 2019

The Brown to Green Report 2019

Emission intensity of the power sector in the G20, 2018

gC02/kWh

Source: Enerdata 2019

The Brown to Green Report 2019

Share of renewables in power generation (incl. large hydro) in the G20, 2018

Source: Enerdata 2019

The Brown to Green Report 2019

Power sector: Policy rating

Source: Own evaluation

The Brown to Green Report 2019

Energy-related CO2 emissions per capita

Level 2017 (tCO2/cap)

The Brown to Green Report 2018

Discover more about our events and blog articles on energy transition.

COP28 and fossil fuels: Signal set, ambition and implementation loop must...

The COP28 concluded with the first ever Global Stocktake by calling on parties to contribute to “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems...

EVENT: Implementing the Energy Transition: Policies in Colombia, Germany, India, Indonesia...

The Global Stocktake is clear: All countries need to raise their ambition to curb their emissions effectively, to a degree that is fair to...

The Climate Ambition Summit – The G20 transition from coal to...

The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres called to super-charge efforts to achieve the Climate Solidarity Pact through an Acceleration Agenda. The G20 as...

Event: A fair coal phase-out – a needed dialogue for Mexico,...

On 14 December 2021 the Mexican partner of Climate Transparency, Iniciativa Climática de México (ICM), organised the online event entitled “A fair coal phase-out...

Paper: Energy Transition in Mexico – A fair coal phase-out

Designing a fair coal phase-out strategy in Mexico is one of the country’s most urgent measures to address climate change and to ensure an...

Event: Change We Want – Just Transitions around the World

The consequences of the climate emergency are becoming more and more visible worldwide with floods, extreme heat waves and unusual droughts, compromising global and...

Energy Transition in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil and Mexico)

Between June 2018 and June 2019, partners from Argentina (FARN), Brazil (Centro Clima) and Mexico (ICM) collaborated on the topic of the energy transition...

Event: The urgent energy transition in Mexico

Iniciativa Climática de México (ICM), the Climate Transparency Partner in Mexico, together with the Plataforma México Clima y Energía and further NGOs organised “The urgent...