Enhancing Renewable Energy Systems, Contributing to Sustainable Development Goals of United Nation and Building Resilience Against Climate Change Impacts

Abstract

Climate change impacts due to unprecedented rising concentrations of greenhouse gas (GHG) are intensifying and widespread, making extreme climate events more widespread, frequent, and severe. To mitigate the worst consequences of climate warming, in this study we investigated how the global community can collectively achieve a large‐scale, sustained reduction in GHG emissions, and how to effectively move away from a predominantly fossil fuel‐based economy to one dominated by renewable energy? This transition is necessary to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDG) of United Nations (UN) to ensure resilient and healthy environment for present and future generations, especially the SDG7 of UN, 'Affordable and Clean Energy', set up to achieve global development of modern renewable energy systems. Investment policies and patterns of developed and developing countries in transitioning to energy productions primarily from renewable sources and obstacles such as scale‐up challenges, innovations in new energy systems, policies, financing mechanisms, and implementation strategies are examined. Furthermore, a comprehensive overview of the present global status of hydropower, wind and solar, the three most significant renewable electricity technologies, as well as their basic operating principles, costs, and potential is conducted. Hydroelectric, wind and solar power had grown from 3429, 346 and 34 TWh yr‐1 in 2010 to 4274, 1598 and 846 TWh yr‐1 in 2020, a growth of about 1.25, 4.60, and 24.9 times in a decade, respectively. Strategies to achieve energy systems that are of or near net zero GHG emissions by 2050s through the deployment of renewable energy systems are also investigated.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Advancing Towards a Sustainable Future: A Systematic Review of Sustainable Net Zero Economy Implementation Studies

“…Further, climate change projections and consumer behavior theories, including the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and theories of planned behavior, shaped studies that examined renewable energy systems and climate resilience, as seen in "Enhancing Renewable Energy Systems" [9]. Bio-hydrogen production was another focal area, with studies like "Improving sustainable hydrogen production from green waste" [10] guided by biochemical and circular bioeconomy principles, focusing on enzymatic activity and gene expression in hydrogen production.…”

“…Energy Transition and Renewable Energy: Govindan [7] and Gan et al [9] offer a sector-specific contrast, with Govindan focusing on the digital transformation in textiles for net-zero emissions, while Gan et al examine the broader application of renewable energies, including hydropower and wind. Zetterberg et al [12] introduce a policy dimension by evaluating financial incentives for Bio-Energy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) in Sweden.…”

“…Furthermore, the growth of renewable energy systems [9] is scrutinized, especially how investment trends and scalability support the broader climate mitigation goals, while research into bio-hydrogen production [10] enhances our understanding of renewable energy sources' efficiency. Studies on energy system efficiency [11] introduce new metrics for evaluating technology sustainability, linking policy and performance.…”

Unlocking renewable energy potential: A case study of solar and wind site selection in the Kasserine region, central‐western Tunisia

“…RES are often domestically available and can contribute to energy independence. Additionally, developing and utilizing RES can stimulate economic growth and create new job opportunities, which helps spur technological advancements and foster a sustainable and resilient economy 2,3 …”

“…create new job opportunities, which helps spur technological advancements and foster a sustainable and resilient economy. 2,3 Hence, to secure energy supplies, reduce energy dependency and costs, and consider the serious environmental impacts, many governments have embraced their policies for utilizing these RES. [4][5][6][7] Driven by impressive technological enhancements and remarkable cost declines, the renewable energy sector, solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind in particular, has seen remarkable growth in recent years, attracting investments and driving innovation.…”