Why clean electricity?

Shifting the world to clean electricity by 2040 is crucial to limit global heating to 1.5C.

coal plant and wind turbines

A safe climate powered by clean electricity

The world needs to rapidly transform the way it generates electricity.

Coal power is still the world’s single largest source of electricity. Coal-fired power accounts for 1/5 of global greenhouse gas emissions, making it the single biggest emitter.

Climate

Burning coal for power emits more carbon dioxide than any other source.

Health

Coal is the deadliest source of power due to pollution and accidents.

Environment

Coal has damaging impacts on water, land, air and wildlife.

Economy

Renewables are now cheaper than new coal, and becoming so for existing coal.

Phasing out coal from the electricity sector is the single most important step to get in line with 1.5C goal

António Guterres UN Secretary-General

The next 20 years are crucial for our planet

The world needs to rapidly halve emissions by 2030 to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

The pathways mapped out by UN IPCC to keep global heating below 1.5C show that almost half of emissions cuts needed by 2030 will come from phasing-out coal power.

The challenge we face is that coal phase-out must happen at the same time as electrification pushes up electricity demand.

Countries need to build new clean power fast enough to both meet rising demand and replace coal.

1.5ºC

Keeping global heating below 1.5ºC avoids the worst impacts of the climate crisis.

2040

Coal power must be phased out worldwide by 2040, and in OECD countries by 2030.

Transforming the power sector

Our vision for a zero carbon global electricity system.

01

Wind and solar

The electricity grid of the future will be dominated by wind & solar, supported by a mixture of technologies, including hydro, nuclear, geothermal, batteries, hydrogen, and other long-term energy storage.

02

Global electricity demand will be much larger than today

Electrification will cut emissions from transport, heat, industry and other sectors – and every single person in the world’s growing population will have access to power.

03

End the use of fossil fuels

Unabated coal and gas power will be entirely eliminated. There may be a transitional role for CCS — but only if it demonstrably reduces grid carbon intensity (including lifecycle emissions).

Our commitment

Our work is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement

Limiting global warming to well below 2C, preferably to 1.5C. We are behind the goal to reach global peaking of emissions as soon as possible and to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century.

Sustainable Development Goal 7

Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. In particular we’re focused on SDG7.2 and increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030.