AN ENERGY REVOLUTION IS POSSIBLE

The report by Friends of the Earth International asserts that a 100% renewable energy revolution is financially feasible, noting that the personal fortunes of the world's 782 wealthiest people (approximately $5,149 billion) could fund this transition for Africa, Latin America, and much of Asia by 2030. Using International Energy Agency (IEA) demand projections, the authors calculate that $5,148 billion in additional investment is required to meet electricity needs in these regions using renewables. The document emphasizes that the transition must be guided by principles of democratic control, energy access as a human right, and community consent to avoid further human rights violations. It concludes that the primary barrier is not finance, but a lack of political will, and recommends ending fossil fuel subsidies, repaying climate debt from developed nations, and implementing global feed-in tariffs to facilitate a just energy transition.

• The personal wealth of the 782 wealthiest individuals globally, totaling around $5,149 billion, is sufficient to fund a 100% renewable energy transition for Africa, Latin America, and much of Asia by 2030.
• The additional investment required to achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030 in Latin America, Africa, and 'Other Asia' (non-OECD countries excluding India and China) is calculated at $5,148 billion, based on IEA World Energy Outlook 2014 demand projections.
• A global transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2050 would result in fuel cost savings of $42 trillion, suggesting that upfront investment costs are offset by long-term savings.
• A sustainable energy revolution must be based on specific social and political principles, including treating energy access as a basic human right, ensuring democratic control, and respecting communities' rights to free, prior and informed consent to prevent land grabbing.
• The proposed renewable energy mix for the global south would rely on variable renewables (wind, solar PV, concentrating solar thermal, and storage) for 62-88% of energy, with the remainder from geothermal, existing hydro dams, and minimal bioenergy (2-4%).
• To kickstart the energy transformation, the report recommends that developed countries repay their 'climate debt' through unconditional funding, end fossil fuel subsidies, and implement a global feed-in tariff and financial transaction taxes.

APA

Hearps, P., & Cossar-Gilbert, S. (2015). AN ENERGY REVOLUTION IS POSSIBLE. Friends of the Earth International. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foe-energy-revolution-reportSUMMARY-web.pdf

Chicago

Hearps, Patrick, and Sam Cossar-Gilbert. AN ENERGY REVOLUTION IS POSSIBLE. Friends of the Earth International, 2015. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foe-energy-revolution-reportSUMMARY-web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hearps |first1=Patrick |last2=Cossar-Gilbert |first2=Sam |title=AN ENERGY REVOLUTION IS POSSIBLE |publisher=Friends of the Earth International |date=2015 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foe-energy-revolution-reportSUMMARY-web.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hearps2015energy, author = {Hearps, Patrick and Cossar-Gilbert, Sam}, title = {{AN ENERGY REVOLUTION IS POSSIBLE}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2015}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/foe-energy-revolution-reportSUMMARY-web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }