IRENA Chief Expects Sustainable Biofuels To Feature As Key COP30 Theme

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Director-General Francesco La Camera speaks during the opening session of the 12th IEA IEF OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 16, 2022. Photo credit: REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

SINGAPORE, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Targets for sustainable biofuels use and social aspects of the energy transition will be in focus at this year's United Nations climate summit, COP30, said Francesco La Camera, Director-General at IRENA.

COP30 will be held on November 10-21 in Belem, Brazil, where countries are due to present updated national climate commitments and assess progress on renewable energy targets agreed at previous summits.

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La Camera said he anticipates a biofuel pledge that could become a target in the final declaration, potentially calling for quadrupled production by 2035 or setting a share target for sustainable aviation fuel in the energy mix.

"I think there will be more focus on the social aspect of the transition and also on the sustainable use of biomass," La Camera said on the sidelines of the Singapore International Energy Week event.

IRENA has prepared a biofuel report for the conference and launched an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to promote biofuel manufacturing, he said.

La Camera said the conference will address how communities can participate in renewable energy projects. IRENA now expects a smaller shortfall in renewable energy installations by 2030 due to the accelerating pace of new additions.

Global renewable capacity is now projected to fall 0.9 terawatts short of the COP28 target of 11.2 terawatts for 2030, an improvement from the 1.49-terawatt shortfall projected last year, he said.

More than 100 countries at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in 2023 agreed to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 as part of efforts to meet global climate targets. Meeting the target by 2030 will require annual growth of 16.6% from 2025-2030, IRENA said in a report this month.