The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the seventh of which is "affordable and clean energy", namely: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy. (Click here for details) 

Under this major goal, there are five targets, the last of which is "By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States, and land-locked developing countries, in accordance with their respective programmes of support".

● Current Situation

About the World

Massive Demand Growth for Urban Energy Infrastructure

With growing urbanisation trends, the central role of cities will keep increasing. Cities today account for more than 50% of the planet’s population, 80% of its economic output, two-thirds of global energy consumption and more than 70% of annual global carbon emissions. By 2050, more than 70% of the world’s population will live in cities, resulting in a massive demand growth for urban energy infrastructure.

Photo source: baidu.com

Urban agglomerations are incubators for cutting-edge technologies, and their density and size offer economies of scale that can cut the cost of infrastructure and innovation. This mix of factors puts cities at the leading edge to come up with creative solutions to climate and energy challenges. From smart streetlamps to self-cooling buildings to smart electric car chargers, investing in city-level action can provide the biggest carbon-mitigation return on investment and accelerate inclusive clean energy transitions.

Text source: iea.org

About China

Concentrate on Investing in New Infrastructure

China has indicated that it will concentrate on investing in new infrastructure that supports the country’s ambition to shift from a highly polluting, export-led manufacturing economy towards an advanced service-driven economy underpinned by high technology. The new goals include large data centres, 5G infrastructure and charging stations for new energy vehicles (battery electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell).

Photo source: baidu.com

Some initiatives have already been launched. In February 2020, China Unicom announced that it would accelerate the deployment of 250 000 5G base stations across the country by the third quarter of 2020 together with China Telecom. In April 2020, the State Grid Corporation of China announced that it would invest CNY 2.7 billion (USD 383.5 million) in 2020 to build 78 000 new energy vehicle charging points. These are expected to spur expenditure on new energy vehicles worth CNY 20 billion. 

Text source: iea.org

●  Cases

About the World

Policy and Market Drivers for Clean Energy Investment

South Africa has introduced a host of clean energy transition policies to expand its low carbon power generation—including the renewable energy procurement programme, as well as energy sector wide drivers like the carbon tax policy package. Building on insights from the IEA 2019 Africa Energy Outlook and the World Energy Investment report, this event will facilitate discussions on the recent trends in global energy investment, with a focus on reliable, affordable and sustainable transitions. It will also explore the key issues that need to be addressed in sub-Saharan Africa to reduce financing costs and attract higher levels of investment in clean energy to the region, and South Africa in particular.

Photo source: baidu.com

Policy clarity, stability and effective implementation will be critical to meet long-term energy transition goals. Attracting adequate capital at an affordable cost of finance is contingent on improving the financial and operational performance of utilities, strengthening the provision of long-term finance, and encouraging integrated approaches that take into account demand-side solutions. Additional tools to complement the energy sector transformation policy package, such as carbon pricing or other credit enhancement mechanisms, will also play an important role in facilitating the transition.

Text source: iea.org

Green Ports: Bergen in Norway

Bergen is Norway’s next-largest city and Western Norway’s most important hub for freight, offshore and cruise traffic. The way ships are operated when they are in port has a major impact on their overall environmental footprint. Port of Bergen has therefore led the way in developing the Environmental Port Index (EPI), a reporting tool for operating ships in port.The reporting system collects a wide range of information on how the ship has been operated while moored in port, with special focus on fuel and energy consumption. This information is analysed and monitored. In this way, ports can help to steer the shipping industry in a greener direction.

Not only does Port of Bergen want to make green operations more lucrative, but it also wants to make them easier. The port has therefore built a world-leading shore power facility, that is Europe’s largest shore power facility, with a capacity of 48 Megavolt-Amperes. So cruise ships no longer need to run their engines to generate electricity while in port.

Text and photo source: theexplorer.no

About China

Smart Energy Infrastructure in Shenzhen

Tencent cloud and Shenzhen Gas Group Co., Ltd. cooperated to accelerate the construction of smart energy and business innovation. The project aims to develop digital transformation and upgrade the city’s gas pipelines. Smart energy is one of the key development directions of new infrastructure. The joint efforts of the two sides have a strong demonstration significance for the construction of integrated infrastructure in the energy field and new infrastructure.

Photo source: baidu.com

Shenzhen Gas and Tencent cloud will improve the issues of connection and efficiency based on Tencent's product and technical advantages in social platform and enterprise wechat. They build a hybrid cloud platform to accelerate the informatization management level and fundamentally realize cost reduction and efficiency increase.

Text source: Securities Daily

New Energy Vehicle Industry in Shanghai

Shanghai's new energy infrastructure has broken through in many directions, and the construction is in full swing. Intelligent charging piles and shared charging piles have formed the main force of the benign interaction circle between people, vehicles and power grid. Coupled with the continuous investment in hydrogen energy and fuel cells, Shanghai has become one of the main positions for new energy vehicles to the beach and land, Efficient and complete charging facilities and hydrogenation facilities covering the whole city will become a strong driving force for Shanghai's new energy vehicle industry.

Photo source: baidu.com

Recently,the Information Office of Shanghai Jiading District People's government announced that the Jiading hydrogen energy port project covers an area of about 49.6 Mu and is planned to be completed by the end of 2022. After completion, the base will become the first public service platform for hydrogen energy third-party detection and R & D covering system technologies such as fuel cell stacks, engines and key parts in Shanghai. In close cooperation with enterprises, the Shanghai government has scattered charging piles from government agencies, shopping malls, hotels, public parking lots to the door of the community, which has greatly improved the travel experience of consumers of new energy vehicles.

Text source: chezhuangw.com

●  Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Initiated by the United Nations

On 1 January, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.