A Green Energy Revolution for Climate and Development

This report compiles material speaking in favour of a Green Energy Revolution, a Global Green New Deal, or a Global Marshall plan, particularly highlighting the idea of globally funded feed-in tariffs as a way to effectively enable all developing countries to leapfrog to renewable energy. The report was published by Swedish Society for Nature Conservation in 2010.

More info/Summary

The climate crisis requires drastically reduced use of fossil fuels. At the same time at least two billion people need to increase their energy consumption to satisfy their basic needs.

With massive investments in renewable energy through global feed-in tariffs, both these challenges can be met simultaneously – while quickly making renewables competitive. A Marshall plan for climate and development where everyone can gain.

This compilation of articles, fact sheets, reports and other material seeks to generate interest and support for a bold, forward-looking win-win approach to simultaneously tackle climate change and global inequalities.

The idea is to mobilise substantial public funds for immediate, ”front-loaded” investments that can tackle global energy poverty, while over 10-15 years time drive the price of renewable energy down to levels where it could be more competitive than fossil fuels.

This is something the world could actually come to agreement on, and the kind of visionary approach that could make us re- ally move towards a structural transformation of the world’s energy system – within the narrow window of opportunity we now have before we cross the line to catastrophic and irreversible global warming.

The present crises of both climate and development need to be tackled both swi/ly and boldly. Yet, there are always inherent risks involved when going large-scale and doing it fast.

From the very start, therefore, this visionary global investment approach needs broad-based participation by civil society as well as technology assessment procedures that ensure it becomes a win-win-win solution that benefits those in most need and avoids any false solution.