Abstract
Energy development improves quality of life for humans, but also incurs environmental consequences. A global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy may mitigate climate change but may also undermine the capacity to achieve some or all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this study, we use an innovation systems approach to construct a comprehensive roadmap for solar and wind energy to anticipate and improve impacts of a transition to a low carbon future in a manner ensuring climate goals and SDGs are mutually reinforcing. Our multidisciplinary approach began with an assessment of public investments in renewable energy followed by a 2-day research prioritization workshop. Fifty-eight expert workshop participants identified six research themes that proactively address the environmental sustainability of renewable energy. Next, we identified linkages between the six research themes and all 17 SDGs. Finally, we conducted a scientiometric analysis to analyze the research maturity of these themes. The results of these efforts elucidated the limits of existing knowledge of renewable energy-SDG interactions, informing the development of a research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RD3) roadmap to a renewable energy future aligned with both climate goals and SDGs. The RD3 roadmap has been designed to systematically develop solutions for diverse actors and organizations. Overall, our findings confer a broad vision for a sustainable transition to renewables to minimize unintended environmental consequences while supporting interoperability among actors particularly poised to influence its magnitude and direction.
Highlights
A just transition to mitigate climate change necessitates a rapid and global diffusion of renewable energy but in a manner that avoids adverse impacts on the environment such that the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be met concomitantly (Healy and Barry, 2017; Nerini et al, 2019; Yeeles, 2019).Sustainability Roadmap for Renewable PowerThe potential contribution of renewable energy to decarbonize the power sector is immense: “affordable and clean energy” is the seventh of the 17 SDGs
We examined statistics on national research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) budgets for all countries that submit data that are reported by the International Energy Agency (IEA) from 1974 to 2018 (IEA, 2019b)
Improvements in innovation systems necessitate an understanding of the investments being made on the technologies of interest
Summary
A just transition to mitigate climate change necessitates a rapid and global diffusion of renewable energy but in a manner that avoids adverse impacts on the environment such that the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be met concomitantly (Healy and Barry, 2017; Nerini et al, 2019; Yeeles, 2019).Sustainability Roadmap for Renewable PowerThe potential contribution of renewable energy to decarbonize the power sector is immense: “affordable and clean energy” is the seventh of the 17 SDGs. A just transition to mitigate climate change necessitates a rapid and global diffusion of renewable energy but in a manner that avoids adverse impacts on the environment such that the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be met concomitantly (Healy and Barry, 2017; Nerini et al, 2019; Yeeles, 2019). While many synergies exist where climate mitigation reinforces movement toward SDGs, action toward one goal may not always align naturally with the other (Nerini et al, 2018, 2019); the environmental aspects of renewable energy is a prime example of the latter. Bolstering synergies and minimizing incompatibilities of solar and wind power—e.g., waste without adequate recycling, adverse wildlife interactions, and public nuisance—requires a systematic approach that recognizes these technologies’ enormous potential for climate and economics benefits while acknowledging environmental risks
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