Renewables in Cities 2019 Global Status Report

Apr 18, 2020
Our Renewables in Cities 2019 Global Status Report
We are pleased to announce that the Renewables in Cities 2019 Global Status Report is now available!
Accounting for 55% of the world’s population, 75% of global CO2 emissions and 2/3rds of global energy demand, cities have a crucial role to play in accelerating the sustainable energy transition. While some national governments are working toward a sustainable energy system, city-level initiatives are fundamental as well, especially for transitioning local end-use sectors such as heating, cooling and transport.
 
 
This latest REN21 report (REC-GSR) provides an overview of cities’ progress in contributing to the renewable energy transition and includes chapters on drivers for renewable energy in cities, urban policy, urban renewable energy markets, finance and citizen participation. The need for this report became clear after cities emerged as a driver of renewable energy deployment in our 2019 GSR. Until now, data on city-level renewable energy policies have been hard to pin down– this report aims to change that.
The report uses the same process and rigorous standards found in the Renewables Global Status Report series. It looks at trends and developments of renewable energy in cities and its associated benefits, including impacts on air pollution, energy security and access, and socio-economic issues. This publication will help improve understanding of cities’ role in the energy transition, increase visibility for local action and showcase effective policies and finance mechanisms to inform decisions.
Read the full report to learn about renewable energy trends and markets, energy access, policies and investments in cities.
Visit our Cities webpage for more on select cities featured in REC-GSR, our partners and contributors and to sign up to get involved in the 2020 edition of the cities report.
Join us for a webinar today (26 Nov). Cities: The hidden gem of the energy transition. You can register here.

Background
The Renewables in Cities 2019 Global Status Report was produced in collaboration with a global network of research partners. Financing was provided by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). A major share of the research for this report was conducted on a voluntary basis with 380 contributors from our international network contributed to this report. We will be sharing findings from REC-GSR at various events at the upcoming COP25 in Madrid.