12 September 2017: Geothermal energy can provide a continuous source of renewable heat and electricity; however, to date its potential is mostly untapped. To promote wider use of this zero-emissions energy source, the High-level Conference of the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA) adopted the ‘Florence Declaration,’ in which GGA members commit to enhance collaboration towards the wider use of geothermal energy.

The Declaration recalls international commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and proposes regular high-level meetings of GGA members to maintain dialogue, collaboration and exchange of knowledge. It further reconfirms the Alliance’s commitment to achieve more than five-fold growth in installed capacity of geothermal electricity generation and more than two-fold growth in installed geothermal heating capacity by 2030. It also endorses the implementation of the GGA Action Plan, which aims to promote geothermal energy as part of a sustainable energy future.

Adopted in 2016, the Action Plan outlines priority actions for GGA members and partners in four areas: resource and market assessment, including a Global Atlas of geothermal resources; needs and obstacles assessment to identify areas for effective support for countries with high geothermal potential; enabling frameworks; and the establishment of a global network of geothermal experts.

The High-level Conference also provided an opportunity to discuss financing for geothermal power projects and other measures to support geothermal expansion. Participants noted that representatives from government, the private sector and international financial institutions identified common ground towards a mechanism to accelerate geothermal energy deployment, including the mobilization of greater levels of investment capital.

During the meeting, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released a technology brief providing technical background information, market analyses, and discussion of potential barriers to wider adoption. The publication describes existing and emerging technologies and the factors determining their cost. It also notes that global geothermal potential is estimated at a minimum of 200 GW of which only 12.7 GW are developed today. Exploiting this potential requires continued investments in technology development to reduce geothermal installation cost.

Launched in December 2015 during the Paris Climate Change Conference, the GGA membership currently includes 42 governments and 29 partner institutions. The high-level meeting was held on 11 September 2017, in Florence, Italy. It was attended by more than 200 high-level public, intergovernmental, non-governmental and senior private sector representatives. [IRENA Press Release][Florence Declaration: Working Together to Promote Geothermal Energy Towards a Sustainable Energy Future][Geothermal Power: Technology Brief][Abstract][GGA Website]