Decarbonising power is central to reaching zero emissions. Globally, power represents the highest emitting sector today. Its decarbonisation will also support emissions reduction in other sectors, including infrastructure, industry, transport and agriculture.
To achieve a zero emissions transition in the power sector, energy related emissions need to reduce from around 37 gigatonnes (GT) of CO2 per year presently1 to zero in 2040.
Decarbonising the power sector requires rapid and collaborative action. The last 15 years have seen extensive efforts from governments, civil society and businesses across the globe, contributing to a large and evolving ecosystem of activities.
This report examines the publicly available information around progress on multilateral commitments to decarbonise power, including reported progress to date. It also considers best practice from existing initiatives and makes recommendations to strengthen individual initiatives and the overall ecosystem.
Download the report:
Initial assessment of global progress on multilateral power sector commitments
Key findings
Download the visual summary here.
Our report found that:
- Multilateral power sector decarbonisation initiatives have received significant commitments from major economic powers
- Initiatives generally align with the IEA’s pathway and the Paris Agreement, however levels of ambition vary
- There is evidence of progress by individual initiatives, however progress reporting is mixed
- There is a lack of clarity about commitments and how they will be tracked
- There are enough good examples to create best practice in establishing clear commitments, operational structures, progress reporting and verification.
Read and download the full report.
Learn more about how we’re taking action to address the climate crisis
