EUROSOLAR: A late awakening in Paris: the renewable age has long since begun

On 12 December 2015, the parties to the climate negotiations in Paris agreed that global warming should be limited to a maximum of 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius. This was presented with such confidence that one could almost forget that the Earth's atmosphere does not have a thermostat. No one can guarantee that this target will be met, especially not on the basis of a resolution: the CO² concentration of 400 parts per million (ppm) is already significantly higher than the 280 ppm required for climate stability. Methane emissions released by permafrost melting and peatland destruction are adding to the flood of exhaust gases from coal, gas and oil. The goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius cannot be achieved without an actual and immediate reduction in emissions. However, the current pledges of the climate parties may allow for 2, 4 or even 5 degrees.

So much for the critical findings from Paris. On the positive side: this was the first COP in which renewable energies (RE) were given a clear and strong mandate. The initiatives, 100% RE movements and programmes of the developing countries for the use of renewable energies were finally given as much respect as the island states, which had previously only been heard marginally. However, not much else of significance was decided - if you want to look at it positively, it was a historic consensus of almost all nations, and an implicit consensus to initiate the expansion of renewable energies. Worldwide and already massive investments have only just begun and can now only intensify. Thousands of communities, banks, companies, foundations and millions of people have recognised this. The installed capacity of photovoltaics alone has increased fifty-fold in the last 10 years. The signal to the countries of the world, but also to Berlin and all other national decision-makers: the immediate, unrestricted switch to renewable energies must not be delayed any longer - the contracting parties must no longer slow down the movement towards the 100%-EE target. (*)

The 'miracle of Paris' is therefore, at best, the realisation that the time for climate negotiations is over and the time for national action has come.
The Paris Agreement can only be celebrated as an achievement of international diplomacy, process management and sustainability marketing. To leave everything else as it is would mean accepting it as a sham agreement. It would allow the nominally agreed targets to be confused with actual measures.

Fossil fuels are in no way specifically limited by the treaties. (**) Their influence is particularly evident in Germany, where the government has deformed the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and thus curbed the energy transition. The expansion of solar and wind energy is now to be massively slowed down by a planned economy-style allocation system. Bioenergy and tens of thousands of jobs in the solar industry have already been sacrificed.

The transition to renewable energies is a local and regional process of innovation that must be facilitated by national legislation, but must essentially take place in a decentralised manner. The basis for this is a new energy market organisation that brings about the convergence of energy markets and ends the structural economic disadvantage of renewables. The clear message and admission from Paris is that no global climate agreement can replace the necessary country-specific and regional implementation of the energy transition. Our task therefore remains the demand for a global energy supply with 100% renewable energy, which is more important and urgent today than ever before.

Professor Peter Droege

President, EUROSOLAR

General Chairman, WCRE

*) The only reference to the central topic of energy only occurs in one place where reference is made to renewable energies - in connection with the 'need for universal access to sustainable energy supply in developing countries through renewable energies, especially in Africa.' However, the importance of promoting renewable energies through the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), which was pushed through by Hermann Scheer (EUROSOLAR, SPD), Hans-Josef Fell (Greens) and Hermann Fellner (CSU) in 2000 and which was modelled on similar laws in many other countries and led to the breakthrough of renewables, is not mentioned in the treaty documents.

**) On the contrary, the Paris Climate Agreement allows the fossil fuel economy to continue to exist until the end of the century, and even permits the further expansion of fossil fuel power plants. Dystopian high-risk technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) are firmly planned in some participating countries - even if they are not enshrined in the final document. Also firmly planned in many places - and even still in many 'scientific' minds - is a massive expansion of nuclear energy, including the dangers of accidents and the nuclear waste problems that cannot be solved responsibly. Even the aberrations of nuclear fusion supporters continue to be rewarded with growing budgets. The multinational nuclear, coal and oil companies have obviously exerted their influence on governments here.

Source: Eurosolar statement from 18 December 2015