UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has officially launched the UK-led Global Clean Power Alliance, an initiative aimed at meeting COP28 commitments to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030. The announcement was made at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in partnership with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, signifying a collaboration between developed and developing nations.
“The UK is already leading the way in the clean power transition – we've phased out coal power, lifted the ban on onshore wind, and launched GBEnergy – but we will not stop there,” Starmer stated. “We want our clean energy ambitions to go global, so it is fantastic news that multiple other countries are now on board with the UK-led Global Clean Power Alliance. I will restore the UK's role as a climate leader on the world stage – and this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make sure we face up to the climate crisis head-on, while delivering more jobs, growth, and prosperity for people across the entire planet.”
Countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Morocco, and Tanzania, as well as the European Union and the United States, have joined the alliance. The first mission, co-chaired by Brazil, will focus on unlocking private finance to support clean energy initiatives globally. The alliance aims to ensure no developing nation is left behind by assisting in building investment platforms and mobilizing funding.
Rebecca Newsom, Senior Political Advisor at Greenpeace UK, praised the alliance's goals but emphasized the need for equitable financial solutions. “The goals of tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 will be reached faster through strong international collaboration, which this alliance could help with. It should prioritize knowledge-sharing, collective purchasing, and enhancing routes to market in emerging economies for renewables, as well as encouraging the interconnection of national and regional electricity grids,” she said.
Newsom also highlighted the importance of avoiding increased debt burdens on developing nations. “To avoid making the debt crisis in many developing countries even worse, financial support from developed countries should be provided in the form of highly concessional grants and loans. Billions of dollars in public funding could be unlocked by taxing the most polluting industries, such as the fossil fuel sector, to make polluters pay. This would help propel the ‘transition away from fossil fuels' agreed at COP28 that must remain front and center of efforts to tackle climate change.”
