Large-scale renewable energy deployment for climate change mitigation

Climate change is a global challenge that requires urgent action from all sectors of society, including the energy sector. Large-scale renewable energy deployment has emerged as a key strategy for mitigating climate change, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy efficiency.

Achieving climate goals and ensuring accessible and affordable energy for all requires a comprehensive digital and sustainable transformation of the energy system. This transformation should include the installation of solar panels on commercial and public buildings, the deployment of heat pumps, and the replacement of fossil fuel-powered cars with zero-emission vehicles. The digitalization of the energy system is also crucial to making this transition successful and improving our daily lives through smart devices. By investing in digital technologies, we can optimize energy consumption, reduce energy poverty, and prioritize the use of renewables, to make significant strides towards a cleaner, greener future.

This Seminar aims to explore the potential role of large-scale renewable energy deployment for climate change mitigation and to discuss the fundamental science and geophysics behind these technologies. It will target UNESCO Chairs, and other experts, including scientists, researchers, educators, policymakers, and professionals working in the fields of renewable energy, digitalization, geophysics and geology. It will also be an opportunity to link the large network of UNESCO Chairs and Category 2 Centres working in these fields with UNESCO programmes and partners, and promote collaborative efforts in the coming years.

The objectives are to:

• Identify future trends and new opportunities of large-scale renewable energy deployment and digitalization in climate change mitigation;
• Examine the impact and challenges of large-scale renewable energy deployment and digitalization in climate change mitigation;
• Share best practices and success stories of large-scale renewable energy deployment and digitalization in climate change mitigation;
• Facilitate discussion and collaboration among experts, especially UNESCO Category 2 Centres and UNESCO Chairs, in these fields.