HSE and REN21: perspectives for cooperation
In 2019 HSE joined the academic community of REN21, which works towards building the sustainable energy future. Comment by Georgy Ermolenko, Head of the Centre for the Development of Renewable Energy at HSE.
In 2019 HSE joined the academic community of REN21. Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, also known as REN21, is the only global renewable energy community of actors from science, governments, NGOs and industry, working to enable decision-makers to make the transition to renewable energy happen. REN21 is a non-profit organisation created in 2004 as an outcome of the Bonn International Conference on Renewable Energy.
REN21 provides information about what is happening now in the renewable energy sector and the impact of the latest trends on future developments. The organisation offers an open forum to discuss making renewable energy future happen across sectors and disciplines. REN21’s main activities include:
• Renewables Global Status Report (GSR). Issued in 2005 for the first time, the report is the industry standard for describing the condition of renewable energy.
• Renewables in Cities Global Status Report (REC-GSR), which is the first comprehensive source on current tendencies in development of renewable energy in cities.
• Regional Status Reports, aimed at improving the quality of data and informing about major decisions through providing a detailed overview of renewable energy in a region.
• Global Futures Reports, which cover modern views on sustainable energy future.
• Thematic reports, going into detail and in great depth on a particular topic or issue relevant for renewable energy studies.
• Interactive map of renewable energy sources, which serves as a research tool for following the development of renewable energy around the world. The map is an addition to reports with its up-to-date information.
• International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC), a political event bringing together governments, private sector and civil society to discuss and promote renewable energy on international, regional and national levels. The Conference is organized once every two years.
• REN21 Academy, which serves as a platform for discussions on all renewables-related topics. The Academy is organized once every two years for members of REN21 community.
HSE has already conducted considerable work related to renewable energy, primarily covering the following topics:
• experience of transferring to renewables and future perspectives in Russia and beyond
• potential use of renewables, especially in regard to technical aspects, resource efficiency and environment
• technological approaches to renewables
• socio-economic effects of exploring the potential of renewable energy
Following the words of Georgy Ermolenko, Head of the Centre for the Development of Renewable Energy at HSE and HSE contact person at REN21, the partnership would allow HSE to become a representative of Russian renewable energy sector in the Association and widen the cooperation with leading experts and global donors in the field. As a consequence, HSE and REN21 would be able to exchange high-quality data, further develop thematic networks and collaborate when working on analytical materials and educational events.