Why is renewable energy important?

Renewables cause urban energy infrastructures to be more independent from remote sources and grids.

Fremont, CA: Renewable energy emanates from natural resources that renew themselves in less than a human lifetime without devouring the planet's resources. These resources – for example, sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, biomass and thermal energy saved in the earth's crust – have the advantage of being available in one form or another everywhere. They are unlimited. And, what is even more important, they generate little climate or environmental damage.

On the contrary, fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas are available in finite quantities only. As we keep extracting them, they will exhaust sooner or later. Although they are yielded in natural processes, they do not restock as quickly as humans use them.

The world still greatly depends on fossil fuels and even continues subsidizing them. As a result, the pollution they induce – from climate-damaging greenhouse gases to health-threatening particles – has reached record levels.

Key Advantages of renewable energy for people and the planet

Like any human activity, all energy sources impact our environment. Renewable energy bars none to the rule, and each source has its trade-offs. Still, the advantages over the destructive impacts of fossil fuels are undeniable: from the decrease in water and land use, less air and water pollution, minimum wildlife and habitat loss, to no or minimum greenhouse gas emissions.

Also, their local and decentralized character and technology development generate important advantages for the economy and people.

• Renewable energy discharges no or low greenhouse gases.

The ignition of fossil fuels for energy results in significant greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming. Most renewable energy sources result in little to no emissions, even when considering the technologies' full life cycle.

• Renewable energy emits no or low air pollutants.

Global increases in fossil fuel-based road transport, industrial action, and power production (and the open burning of waste in many cities) contribute to elevated levels of air pollution. In many developing countries, using charcoal and fuelwood for heating and cooking contributes to poor indoor air quality. In addition, particles and other air pollutants from fossil fuels asphyxiate cities.

• Renewable energy comes with minimal costs.

Geopolitical strife and upheavals usually come with rising energy prices and limited resource access. As renewable energy is produced locally, it is less impacted by geopolitical crises, price spikes, or sudden disturbances in the supply chain.

• Renewable energy creates jobs.

Renewables cause urban energy infrastructures to be more independent from remote sources and grids. As a result, businesses and industries invest in renewable energy to avoid disturbances, comprising resilience to weather-related impacts of climate change.

• Renewable energy is accessible to all.

Around the world, renewables convey the lowest-cost new power generation technology source, and costs continue to decline. Moreover, especially for cities in the middle- and low-income countries, renewable energy is the single way to expand energy access to all inhabitants, especially those living in urban slums and casual settlements, in suburban and peri-urban areas and remote areas.

• Renewable energy is secure.

Evolving energy markets and geopolitical incertitude have moved energy security and energy infrastructure resilience to the foreground of many national energy strategies. As a result, the security of supply is a serious concern in energy markets worldwide.