Breakthrough Agenda Report 2022

Breakthrough Agenda Report 2022

• The UN Climate Change High-Level Champions, the International Energy Agency (IEA), and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have launched The Breakthrough Agenda Report 2022, which focuses on international cooperation to accelerate greenhouse gas emission reductions.

What are the Report's Key Points?

• It evaluates the status of efforts to cut emissions in five important industries: steel, agriculture, road transportation, hydrogen, and power.
• The world's top leaders asked for this first-of-its-kind annual progress report during the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in November 2021 as part of the introduction of the Breakthrough Agenda.
• The Breakthrough Agenda, which has the support of 45 international leaders, including those from the G7, China, and India, currently spans more than two-thirds of the global economy.
• Findings include an anticipated rise in worldwide renewable capacity of 8% in 2022, pushing beyond the 300GW barrier for the first time and enough to powering almost 225 million homes. There has also been progress in installing the technologies required.
• Together, the five industries examined in the report represent almost 60% of the world's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and they may provide the majority of the emission cuts required by 2030 on a trajectory that would significantly lower global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C, in line with the Paris Agreement goals.
• The world is already experiencing the first really global energy crisis, which will have disastrous knock-on effects on the global economy, particularly in poorer nations.
• The oil, gas, and electricity markets have experienced an energy crisis, which has been made worse by the pandemic, rising oil prices, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
• The limitations and vulnerabilities of a system that is mainly dependent on fuels from the 20th century have been made apparent by the energy and climate crisis.

Recommendations:

• Showcase and test adaptable low-carbon power systems to broaden the scope of available options and raise the proportion of variable renewables.
• In order to promote the trade of low-carbon energy, decrease emissions, improve energy security, and increase system flexibility, new cross-border super grids should be built this decade.
• Create new worldwide centers of excellence to help coal-producing nations shift by using financial and technical support
• Establish a uniform definition and deadlines for all new road vehicles to be net zero by, aiming for 2035 for cars and vans and the 2040s for heavy-duty vehicles.
• Increase spending on charging infrastructure, prioritise aid to underdeveloped nations, and harmonise international charging standards to encourage spending and speed up adoption worldwide.
• In order to lessen dependency on precious metals like cobalt and lithium, standards to improve the recyclability of batteries and accelerating research into alternate battery chemistries are needed.
• Government initiatives, private sector purchases, and international trade regulations all work together to increase demand for low-carbon and renewable hydrogen.
• Investment in agricultural technologies and techniques that can reduce emissions from livestock and fertilizers, increase the availability of substitute proteins, and hasten the development of crops that are more tolerant to climate change

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