UN report believes renewable energy will save the day
The United Nations in its annual review ‘Global Trends in Sustainable Development’ paints a rosy picture of the world getting nearly 25% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. How realistic this projection is, is open to question. The UN points to record investment of £35 billion in the areas of solar power, wind generation and biofuels in 2006 alone. This may seem a huge sum, but compare this to the $1 trillion invested globally in energy every year and it looks pretty miniscule. Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN environment programme believes "The increasing investments in clean energy also point to deeper change - a tipping point where sustainable energy technology is the fundamental component of the global energy system" I am not convinced of this.
To me it looks like commercial opportunism. The investment seems to be geared more towards making money than saving the planet. Here in the UK, our government has already decided to go with the nuclear option rather than the renewable energy option. I really cannot see any government in the near future at least, relying on renewable energy as its main source of electricity supply. At the moment all I can see is lots of ‘green talk’ but not much ‘green action’ from our political leaders.
