29 September 2008: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has launched a new study entitled “Deploying Renewables: Principles for Effective Policies,” which includes a comparative analysis of the performance of various renewables promotion policies around the world.

The study encompasses 35 countries, including all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) members and the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), and addresses the three relevant sectors: electricity production, heating and transport. The IEA estimates that nearly 50% of global electricity supplies will have to come from renewable energy sources in order to halve carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 and minimize significant and irreversible climate change impacts.
The report shows that, although several countries have made important progress in recent years in fostering renewables, significant barriers to a swift expansion of renewable energy still exist. [IEA Press Release, 29 September 2008]