Leadership in the Renewable Energy Sector: Time to step back

Time for reflection: Over the last weeks, there have been many opportunities for stepping back, thinking, re-evaluating, repositioning – individually, as a team, as an organisation and as a global renewable energy player.

On REN21’s side, there was obviously COVID-19 and all its consequences. As renewable energy players, we analysed the renewable energy ‘voices’ and actions during this period – often scattered– and faced the reality of persisting habits and power structures revealed in many economic recovery decisions. It was also during this time, like in any year, where we prepared the launch of the Renewables Global Status Report. A period where we look at the facts and figures and critically assess the advancements towards a renewables-based energy system, in order to tell the global renewable energy story.

As every year, there was the tension between reporting positive news on the sector’s successes and being realistic; facing the fact that, overall, we are not on track to deliver on climate and development goals. This year, the tension has been amplified by the post-COVID-19 situation; the resurgence of conservative forces – a function of changing fuel economics due to a rapid decline in oil prices and energy demand – coupled with the economic pressure experienced by governments that risk undermining the sustainable energy revolution and climate action.

We need to be outspoken about the need for political leadership

Ultimately, we decided to be more outspoken. The success in renewable power should not lead us to believe that renewables are a guaranteed success. We urgently need deep, structural changes – it’s not enough to support renewable energy and efficiency. We need to stop producing and using fossil fuel, now. We’re collectively calling for political leadership. And this is the right thing to do: political leadership is critical to drive this change.

But what about our own role/ leadership role/leadership responsibility as renewable energy players? How do we inform and give the right guidance? How do we influence? How do we mobilise and create the right pressure? Who do we target? And with whom do we build alliances?

Renewables players must communicate beyond the RE 'bubble'

Now seems to be a good moment to look at where we stand today. The reality of the renewable energy sector has evolved, and so must our strategies to make changes to our energy system. Only a few years ago, our work needed to prove that renewable energy was relevant – technically and economically feasible. Since then, the renewable energy sector has matured. We’ve seen costs plummet, and technological advances that make renewables reliable. We’ve seen renewables become a legitimate force, especially in the power sector.[1] And still, though science and economics seem to support the “renewable energy case”, we are far away from our vision: an energy system in which efficient and renewable-based energy is the norm, where renewable energy is unavoidable and relevant everywhere, instead of fossil fuel. 

Myths, habits, structural weaknesses and barriers persist – in the overall energy eco-system and in the renewables sector. As renewable energy players, we still tend to speak to the renewable community, that largely agrees with our perspective. We need to be more strategic in influencing decisions and decision-makers, as ‘just the facts’ doesn’t allow us to address all barriers. As renewable players we tend to prefer to speak about the successes – and historically we had to in order to build a positive image of renewables. Moreover, we cannot leave the discussion about the environmental impacts of renewables to those that fight against their installation. It is now time to be more outspoken about continuous gaps and structural issues.

Players we've disagreed with may now become allies

But being more outspoken is not enough. We need to collectively improve the way we position ourselves, as a sector of sectors. Today, renewable action is strong, but renewable energy voices are scattered. This is a structural weakness, especially in comparison to the more centralised voices of the conventional energy sector. Unless we integrate our narrative with players outside the (renewable) energy ‘bubble', we won’t succeed in spreading renewables everywhere. We can do this by strengthening the interplay between the renewable energy sector and other players, by aligning with movements that are fighting against climate change and by building strategic alliances with business, industry and finance more broadly.

It is also time to acknowledge that some players with whom we might have disagreed with in the past may now become our allies in 'de-fossilising' the economy and embracing an energy transition. Believe me, I’m not naïve about 'green washing' and the fact that there might be a huge gap between real and pretend renewable energy activity and a change to sustainable energy. But if we believe change is possible, we also need to allow everybody to change.

Leadership means having the courage to articulate what isn’t working

For the past several decades, we in the renewable energy community have been asking for others to change things. Now we must also acknowledge our role as leaders and ask critical questions about what we must change. My personal take is that showing leadership in the renewable energy sector involves motivating and inspiring, but also means having the courage to articulate what isn’t working. Leadership also requires speaking about weaknesses in a way that creates the trust to engage in a change, even if we don’t have all the answers yet.

I am not pessimistic, nor do I want to down-play successes to-date. Rather, I invite all of us to step back and decide to walk a new route that maybe less comfortable At REN21 we are consciously questioning how we can best evolve. As an institution we are taking this time to ask ourselves, how can we, as a network of networks, build on our strengths and evolve as leaders in a maturing renewables sector?

I certainly don’t pretend to have all answers, but I hope that raising some of the questions has triggered a small moment of pause and will ultimately increase the impact in what we do.

- Rana Adib

[1] With the right policy attention and strategy, this success could certainly be replicated in renewable heat and transport.