Switch to renewables to come in from the cold

The We Mean Business Coalition asserts that the global energy system is vulnerable due to fossil fuel subsidies and unpredictable weather, as evidenced by Storm Arwen and European supply issues. It advocates for the immediate end of public coal financing, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, and increased public investment in green infrastructure. The text highlights the role of corporate initiatives like RE100 and the First Movers Coalition in driving demand for renewables, while noting that countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea remain difficult geographies for sourcing renewable energy.

• The global energy system is characterized by instability and vulnerability, evidenced by the failure of numerous energy suppliers over the last three years and the impact of unpredictable weather events and geopolitical tensions.
• To achieve a robust and sustainable energy system, governments must immediately stop public coal financing and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 at the latest.
• Public financing is essential to cover approximately 30% of clean energy investment, as the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicates that around 70% must come from private sources.
• Corporate efforts to reach 100% renewable energy goals are hindered by specific geographies; RE100 members identify Australia, mainland China, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan as among the ten most difficult locations for sourcing renewables.
• The $8.5 billion agreement reached at COP26 to support a just energy transition in South Africa serves as a model for how governments and businesses can transition away from coal while supporting the workforce.

APA

Leonard, L. (2021). Switch to renewables to come in from the cold. We Mean Business Coalition. https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/switch-to-renewables-to-come-in-from-the-cold/

Chicago

Leonard, Lucy. Switch to renewables to come in from the cold. We Mean Business Coalition, 2021. https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/switch-to-renewables-to-come-in-from-the-cold/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Leonard |first1=Lucy |title=Switch to renewables to come in from the cold |publisher=We Mean Business Coalition |date=16 December 2021 |url=https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/switch-to-renewables-to-come-in-from-the-cold/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{leonard2021switch, author = {Leonard, Lucy}, title = {{Switch to renewables to come in from the cold}}, publisher = {We Mean Business Coalition}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.wemeanbusinesscoalition.org/blog/switch-to-renewables-to-come-in-from-the-cold/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }