“Science tells us that we are heading towards a temporary overshoot of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius,” stresses António Guterres. The aim, insists the United Nations (UN) secretary general, is to make this overshoot “as minor, as brief and as safe as possible”, by ensuring “a just, orderly and equitable transition to a world free of fossil fuels”. For the UN, renewable energies are the central lever of this transformation, which will be climatic, economic and social.

According to António Guterres, the past year marks a symbolic turning point: for the first time, wind, solar and other renewable sources have produced more electricity worldwide than coal. In most regions, these technologies are now “the most affordable source of new energy”. They are expanding access to electricity, improving health and education, reducing energy costs and building resilience to geopolitical shocks and market volatility.

Overcoming “denial, doubt and inaction”

But the secretary general warns of a growing gap between the pace of deployment of renewable capacity and that of the necessary infrastructure. “The renewable energy revolution is not going fast enough or far enough,” he warns, pointing to inadequate electricity grids, excessively slow authorisation procedures and a cost of capital that is still prohibitive for many countries, particularly in the developing world. The UN’s roadmap is explicit: remove regulatory obstacles, modernise and digitise networks, develop storage, secure diversified supply chains—particularly for critical minerals—and massively mobilise public and private funding.

[Renewable energies are] entirely competitive, and even cheaper than conventional energies.

Paul Zens, president, Eurosolar Luxembourg

These international ambitions are directly echoed in Luxembourg. In a press release published to mark International Clean Energy Day on 26 January, Eurosolar Luxembourg calls for us to move beyond “denial, doubt and inaction” in favour of a clear commitment to renewable energies. Its president, Paul Zens, points out that “in the current global context, where the fight over fossil fuels continues to be in the news, International Day of Clean Energy reminds us of the importance of the transition to clean, regenerative energy”. He calls for “faster and more urgent action”, stressing that renewable energies are today “entirely competitive, and even cheaper than conventional energies”.

Horizon 2030

Eurosolar Luxembourg welcomes a number of recent advances, including the pre-financing of aid for photovoltaic installations and the extension of support for domestic storage, while calling for the implementation of measures arising from the national consultation “Einfach - Séier - Erneierbar” to be speeded up. The organisation also believes that innovative instruments, such as energy transition bonds, deserve to be pursued in order to stay on course for the 2030 climate targets.

At both global and national levels, the message is convergent: the energy transition is no longer an option, but an immediate necessity. “Clean energy is within our reach,” sums up António Guterres. But, he concludes, we must seize this opportunity fully and make the renewable energy revolution a reality “in every corner of the world”.