Bracing for Climate Impact: Renewables as a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy

By International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA

This report discusses the benefits of renewables-based adaptation and illustrates the importance of renewable energy within an integrated mitigation-adaptation approach to climate action.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRENA
• Release date: Jan 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9789292603847

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© IRENA 2021

Unless otherwise stated, material in this publication may be freely used, shared, copied, reproduced, printed and/or stored, provided that appropriate acknowledgement is given of the author(s) as the source and IRENA as the copyright holder. Material in this publication attributed to third parties may be subject to separate terms of use and restrictions, and appropriate permissions from these third parties may need to be secured before any use of such material.

ISBN: 978-92-9260-351-9

eBook ISBN: 978-92-9260-384-7

Citation: Jeong, J. and H. Ko (2021), Bracing for climate impact: Renewables as a climate change adaptation strategy, International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi.

About IRENA

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) serves as the principal platform for international co-operation, a centre of excellence, a repository of policy, technology, resource and financial knowledge, and a driver of action on the ground to advance the transformation of the global energy system. An intergovernmental organisation established in 2011, IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity. www.irena.org

Acknowledgements

This report benefited from valuable inputs and review provided by Konstantinos Chalvatzis (University of East Anglia), Enrica De Cian (Ca' Foscari University of Venice and CMCC), Marinella Davide (Ca' Foscari University of Venice and Harvard University), Tokutaro Hiramoto (Kanazawa Institute of Technology), Matthias Krey, Marjorie Menard (Perspectives Climate Group), Dereje Senshaw (GGGI), Kikuko Shinchi (Mitsubishi Research Institute), Maxime Therrillion (Mascara Renewable Water), Suyeon Yang (UNEP Global Adaptation Network), Stefan Gahrens, Adrian Whiteman (formerly IRENA), and Simon Benmarraze, Paula Nardone, Josefine Axelsson, Arieta Gonelevu Rakai, Ali Yasir, Jack Kiruja, Paul Komor, Seleha Lockwood, Bishal Parajuli (IRENA). Emily Youers edited and Myrto Petrou designed this report.

This report was authored by Jinkyung Jeong and Hyun Ko (IRENA). Valuable contributions, feedback, and review were provided by Ahmed Badr, Rabia Ferroukhi, Binu Parthan, Stephanie Clarke (IRENA), Neil MacDonald (formerly IRENA), and Toshiaki Nagata (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan) in the preparation of this report.

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of IRENA. This publication does not represent IRENA’s official position or views on any topic.

The Technical Papers series are produced as a contribution to technical discussions and to disseminate new findings on relevant topics. Such publications may be subject to comparatively limited peer review. They are written by individual authors and should be cited and described accordingly.

The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of IRENA or all its Members. IRENA does not assume responsibility for the content of this work or guarantee the accuracy of the data included herein.

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CONTENTS

ABBREVIATIONS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 . INTRODUCTION

The shift to climate adaptation strategies

Paris, Cancun and UNFCCC: International framework on climate adaptation

Adaptation and mitigation: Two pillars of climate response

Climate adaptation: The basic concept

2 . RENEWABLE ENERGY IN CLIMATE ADAPTATION

2.1 Energy uses in climate adaptation

2.2 Net-zero emissions and environmentally sustainable practices

2.3 Key sectors/areas for renewables-based adaptation

2.4 Interactions among sectors: Integrated approach between adaptation and mitigation

2.5 Benefits of renewables-based adaptation

3 . THE ENABLING FRAMEWORK FOR RENEWABLES-BASED ADAPTATION

3.1 Adaptation targets and planning

3.2 Financing renewables-based adaptation

4 . THE WAY FORWARD

Establishing the framework for renewables-based climate adaptation

Developing renewables-based adaptation options

Programming, budgeting and financing

Monitoring, evaluation and capacity building

APPENDIX

BIBLIOGRAPHY

FIGURES

Figure 1: International climate adaptation framework timeline

Figure 2: Relationship between vulnerability, adaptive capacity, sensitivity and exposure

Figure 3: Examples of trade-offs and synergies between adaptation and mitigation

Figure 4: Interlinkage between food, climate, ecosystem and socio-economic system

Figure 5: Renewables and the water, agriculture/food/forest, human health, ocean ecosystem

Figure 6: Multifunctional aspects of renewable energy contribution to climate change adaptation

Figure 7: Renewables-based adaptation in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by region

Figure 8: Climate adaptation decision-making cycle

TABLES

Table 1: Examples of energy services for adaptation benefits*

Table 2: Renewable energy solutions for adaptation in the water sector

Table 3: Renewable energy solutions for adaptation in the food, agriculture and forestry sector

Table 4: Renewable energy solutions for adaptation in natural disaster response

Table 5: Renewable energy solutions for adaptation in the ocean, coasts and small islands

Table 6: Renewable energy solutions for adaptation in the human health sector

Table 7: Examples of cross-sectoral measures for resource complementarity

Table 8: Summary of multifunctionality of renewables in adaptation

Table 9: Examples of countries that specify renewables as a measure to address energy resilience

Table 10: Examples of sectors in which renewables contribute to adaptation

Table 11: Examples of countries that take an integrated approach

Table 12: Examples of countries that specify the use of DRES to adapt to climate change

Table 13: Examples of countries that specify non-energy service

Table 14: Consideration of renewable energy in national adaptation plans

Table 15: Analysis of renewable energy implementation for adaptation in funding proposals

Table 16: Examples of mechanisms propelling private finance in renewables-based adaptation

BOXES

Box 1: Making renewable energy technologies ready for climate change

Box 2: Photovoltaic-based desalination plant project on Rodrigues Island

Box 3: Renewable energy for health service

Box 4: Integrated approach to restore water resources with solar water pumping in Djibouti

Box 5: Co-benefits, synergies and side-effects in hydropower and water resource management

Box 6: Solar shading

Box 7: Climate adaptation and development finance

ABBREVIATIONS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The impacts of climate change are being seen with increasing frequency and intensity around the world. Climate change mitigation (action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions) remains vital but is just one of the two main pillars of climate change response. The critical importance of the second pillar, adaptation (action to adjust to and protect against the impacts of climate change), has gained significant recognition in recent years, and an increasing flow of finance to adaptation activities is being seen at the international and national levels. Many climate adaptation strategies require considerable energy use, yet the role of reliable, affordable and modern renewable energy services in climate adaptation is not widely acknowledged in policy making