G7 releases energy targets, and offshore wind and photovoltaic will become development priorities

The Group of Seven has concluded its Climate, Energy, and Environment Conference in Sapporo, Japan, and issued a 36 page communiqu é after the meeting, vowing to accelerate energy transformation.

The communiqu é stressed that, based on the current global energy crisis and economic turmoil, the G7 committed to accelerate the transition to clean energy and achieve net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. It will prioritize the phasing out of coal-fired power generation, especially those factories that do not take measures to capture carbon emissions, but the G7 communique does not mention a specific timetable for phasing out coal-fired power plants.

G7 also pointed out in the communique that by 2030 and 2035, carbon emissions need to be reduced by about 43% and 60% compared to 2019. In addition, G7 reiterated its commitment to end subsidies to the fossil fuel industry by 2025.

Akihiro Nishimura, the environment minister of Japan, said that the G7 hoped to prove to the international community that the alliance's commitment to climate change and environmental issues was unswerving, even if there were disturbances such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

John Kerry, the US climate envoy, stated that this is a very important statement expressing the unity of the G7 in its goal of phasing out fossil fuels.

Energy targets

The communique stated that G7 will jointly increase offshore wind power capacity by 150 gigawatts and increase solar energy capacity to over 1 terawatt by 2030. This goal is very bold, with offshore wind capacity increasing by six times compared to 2021, and solar capacity increasing by more than three times.

Dave Jones, head of data insights at energy think tank Ember, stated that G7's commitment to solar and wind energy is an important statement in the alliance's process of phasing out fossil fuels.

Jones also pointed out that the renewable energy target of G7 poses a challenge to Japan as it has always been a blank in offshore wind power construction. Japan has always relied on imports for energy, and it also hopes to use liquefied natural gas as a transitional fuel for at least 10-15 years.

G7 members also said that if it is carried out in a way consistent with the climate goals, investment in the natural gas industry may be appropriate, which can fill the energy market supply problem caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In addition, Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson revealed that Canada will gradually phase out unreduced coal-fired power generation by 2030, with the UK and some other countries also targeting this goal.

Alden Meyer, a senior assistant at climate change research institution E3G, commented shortly after the announcement that the communique contained a large number of subtle differences to allow for differences in energy strategies for the G7.

He pointed out that the G7 has made bold remarks on climate issues, but the real test is how they demonstrate climate ambition to the world. He believes that although the G7 has prevented the wider use of fossil fuels, these commitments are not yet the true call for action.

According to the communique, the 2030 targets for offshore wind and solar energy are based on the existing targets of each country. However, from a practical perspective, G7 countries have their own difficulties in achieving their energy goals on land.

Taking Germany as an example, its goal is to install at least 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030 and 70 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2045. However, according to the joint report of the German wind power industry, the installed capacity of German offshore power generation is only 8.1 GW at present, and the industry expects no greater expansion of German offshore wind power projects before 2025.

The report also pointed out that Germany needs to build approximately 20 gigawatts of offshore wind power in the last five years to achieve its goals, which is quite challenging in practice. There are similar problems in the photovoltaic industry, and insufficient funds are one of the important reasons that hinder the development of the industry.

On the other hand, Sultan al Jaber, the current chairman of the United Nations Climate Summit and an official from the United Arab Emirates, believes that the G7 must take into account southern countries and reach a more equitable climate agreement, and the assistance it provides to developing countries is still insufficient.

He emphasized that developed countries must fulfill their $100 billion commitment made at the 2009 COP15 conference to support less developed countries in achieving energy transformation.