German Advisory Council on Global Change (Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltveränderungen, WBGU):
Milestones for the Transformation of the World Energy System

To protect natural life-support systems and eradicate energy poverty alike, there is an urgent need to transform energy systems.This transformation will be feasible without severe adverse effects upon societal and economic systems if policy-makers grasp the opportunity to shape this process over the next two decades.The intended effects can only be expected to emerge after a certain time lag. This lag makes swift action all the more important. The costs of inaction would be much higher over the long term than the costs of initiating this transformation. Every delay will make it more difficult to change course. The direction of transformation is clear: The energy efficiency must be increased, and massive support for renewables must be provided. It will be particularly important in this endeavour to reduce dependency on fossil fuels.The long-term objective is to break the ground for a solar age. In the view of the WBGU, the transformation is feasible. It is also financeable if, in addition to intensified use of existing mechanisms (e.g. GEF,ODA,World Bank and regional development bank loans) and enhanced incentives for private-sector investors (e.g. through public-private partnerships), innovative financing avenues (such as user charges for global commons) are pursued.The side event highlights the key opportunities for steering energy systems towards sustainability, guided by a transformation roadmap. For the worldwide transformation of energy systems to succeed, it will need to be shaped in a stepwise and dynamic manner, for no one can predict today with sufficient certainty the technological, economic and social developments over the next 50–100 years. Long-term energy policy is thus a searching process. It is the task of policy-makers to rise to this challenge. The German Advisory Council on Global Change will discuss at this side event feasible pathways for a global energy transformation with international participants.

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