“ Let me be clear , economic growth coupled with decarbonisation is not only realistic , it has already been happening ”
Responsibility for climate change and the energy transition Birol ’ s climate advocacy and commitment can be seen across the industry , but he often shares his thoughts on the direction of the global energy sector via the IEA ’ s website – sharing analysis of new developments , global news , major events , and opportunities across all facets .
Birol is a strong believer of decarbonisation that coincides with economic prosperity . While this is a key part of his role , as an economist himself he understands the relationship between the two and looks to drive a coalition between business and the planet .
In an article published by the IEA he talks of world recovery that aligns the economy with sustainability .
“ Let me be clear , economic growth coupled with decarbonisation is not only realistic , it has already been happening ,” says Birol . “ Last month , IEA data showed that global energy-related carbon emissions stopped growing in 2019 even as the world economy expanded by nearly 3 %. A key part of this encouraging development was the decline in emissions from the electricity sector across advanced economies , indicating that clean energy transitions are moving forwards .”
It ’ s safe to say that the climate crisis , and in fact all crises , has a profound effect on Birol and is further motivation to continue building an energy that is suitable for the future . Part of this work is to understand the energy landscape and ensure full transparency of the industry and the sentiments of the powers within it . Birol recognises the challenges vary between continents as energy equity is yet to come to fruition in some underserved areas .
“ Although some of the biggest disruptions have been felt in Europe and made a lot of the headlines , major impacts are being felt in many emerging and developing economies . For example , we see this clearly in the number of people worldwide who lack access to electricity , the large majority of whom live in Sub- Saharan Africa . This number rose last year for the first time in decades as energy prices spiked amid the crisis .”
As the Executive Director , Birol prides himself on bringing clarity and reassurance to the industry that it takes on the climate challenge with the full support from the IEA . With many countries realising the demand for their own energy strategies , they can focus on delivering renewable systems .
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