Renewable energy chief: climate goals need 'radical action'

The head of the International Renewable Energy Agency says “radical action” is needed to shift away from fossil fuels and ensure global warming doesn’t pass dangerous thresholds

BERLIN -- The world needs to take “radical action” to shift away from fossil fuels and ensure global warming doesn't pass dangerous thresholds, the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency said Tuesday.

The agency's 348-page report concluded that investments of $5.7 trillion in renewable energy are needed globally each year until 2030 to reduce emissions and meet the goals of the Paris climate accord. Currently those emissions are going up, not down.

“The energy transition is far from being on track and anything short of radical action in the coming years will diminish, even eliminate chances to meet our climate goals,” said Francesco La Camera, the director-general of IRENA.

Countries agreed seven years ago in Paris to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit), ideally no more than 1.5C (2.7F), to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences for the entire planet. A recent report by a U.N. science panel found that with temperatures already more than 1.1C above the pre-industrial average, billions of people around the world are vulnerable to impacts from climate change.