Authors: S.Singer, Athena Ballesteros, Sarah Martin, Davida Wood

Date: June 2013

(Full paper available here) 

What is it about? This report was produced through a collaboration of WWF and World Resources Institute (WRI), and elaborates on the efforts to meet renewable energy targets in China, Morocco, India, Spain, South Africa, Philippines and Germany. The report looks at the factors required to achieve the renewable energy targets at the national level – including policy, institutional and capacity (human and technical) qualities and accordance with the national circumstances. In the case of China for instance, the renewable energy sector grew because the government set clear targets. However, there was also need for a stronger enabling environment to meet the target – for example, infrastructure to connect the renewable energy system into the national grid. The government then initiated to provide subsidies to state-owned grid companies, which then the State Grid had announced that it will invest US$250 billion in order to upgrade country’s grid infrastructure.

Why we recommend reading this? The report elaborates different cases in different countries with political will to set themselves renewable energy targets through the legal framework or their national strategy/plan. The report looks at the issue of enabling environment, which is not only about the policies. There are other country-level problems that are difficult to identify from outside the country. These domestic problems need to be quickly identified and be solved, in order to meet the renewable targets that will lead to the urgently needed GHG emissions reduction. These specific cases are needed to learn lessons in order to mobilize both climate finance and political will more effectively.