United Nations

  • 22 Countries, Including U.S., Pledge to Triple Nuclear Power Capacity

    The U.S. and 21 other countries have said they want to triple the global generation capacity of nuclear power by mid-century. The pledge, announced Dec. 2 at the United Nations’ COP28 climate summit in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), comes as more of the world’s governments say increased use of nuclear power is […]

  • Ethiopia Outlines $40 Billion Plan as GERD Hydro Startup Nears

    Ethiopian officials have said they are moving closer to commissioning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) hydropower installation, part of 71 power projects included in a $40 billion investment package to increase the country’s electricity generation over the next decade. The 5.2-GW GERD project, being built on the Blue Nile River and set to more […]

  • Renewables Could Drive Recovery in Latin America

    Countries in Latin America did not feel the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic until several weeks after Europe and the U.S., but the impacts of the coronavirus when it arrived were swift on the region’s

  • China Promotes Climate Goal, and Builds New Coal Plants

    Chinese President Xi Jinping said he wants his country to “achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.” It will not be an easy task for the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG). China, though it has canceled some planned thermal power plants over the past several years, has as much as 200 GW of coal-fired facilities […]

  • Access Versus Productive Use of Energy: Is It Time to Craft SDG 7.4 for Africa?

    In 2012, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were drafted at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which was held in Brazil. The goals were adopted by all the United Nations member countries in 2015. They replaced the Millennium Development Goals, which started in 2000 to tackle the challenge of extreme poverty across the world. […]

  • Building a resilient, renewable power system with innovative hydropower technology

    December 10, 2019 — A major new energy innovation project to demonstrate how smart hydropower technologies can deliver a low-carbon, reliable and resilient power system was launched today. The €18 million initiative was announced by the European Commission and a consortium of 19 partners, including the International Hydropower Association, at the United Nations climate change conference […]

  • Investments in Renewables Dwarf New Coal, Gas Generation

    A report from groups including the United Nations environmental arm and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) shows renewable energy installations were responsible for 61% of the world’s net power capacity additions in 2017, more than double the new-builds from fossil fuel-powered generation. The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018 report, compiled by BNEF, the […]

  • Report: Global Renewable Investment Down, Capacity Grows

    Global new renewable power capacity grew in 2016 even as global new investment in renewables dropped, according to a report commissioned by the United Nations Environment Program out April 6. The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2017 report found that global investment in renewables—excluding large hydro—fell in 2016 by 23% to $241.6 billion. That […]

  • 15 Must-See Tweets from the 2015 Paris Climate Conference

    The 21st annual Conference of Parties (COP21) to review the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) began in Paris, France, on Nov. 30, 2015. COP21 is expected to be one of the largest international conferences ever held. There are hopes that COP21 will achieve a legally binding and universal agreement […]