RGI’s Energy & Space Workshop will discuss the challenges of limited resources to reach a decarbonised future and how to address them. During the event, the results of analysis about the needed space and water for different decarbonisation scenarios will be presented, and invited experts will share their perspectives on how to plan energy systems while considering resources’ constraints and applying different planning tools and approaches.
The European Union has committed to decarbonise by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.
To accomplish this goal, the transformation of the energy sector towards a renewables-based system is playing a key role in European strategies for decarbonisation, but renewable energy sources and the accompanying transmission infrastructure will require space both on land and sea.
Space is a limited and valuable resource that can be used in a multitude of ways, including nature and biodiversity protection, urban and industrial development, energy infrastructure, agriculture, among others. This holds true also for water, the availability of which has decreased throughout the years.
Thus, a sound planning on how to adequately optimise available resources is necessary to minimise social and environmental impacts, ensuring a fair and nature-friendly energy transition.
To achieve the climate and energy targets set out for 2030, 2040 and 2050, different pathways could be taken, but some questions remain unanswered, such as:
- What are the challenges laying ahead?
- How the challenges related to a limited availability of space and water can be addressed?
- What are available tools that can be helpful for the system and spatial planning?
- How can we address existing constraints related to implementation of a decarbonised energy system?
Drawing from these questions, RGI commissioned the Reiner Lemoine Institute (RLI) to analyse the requirements of space and water to achieve a decarbonised future, as well as the differences and implications stemming from the implementation of four different decarbonisation scenarios.
During the Energy & Space Workshop: Overcoming the challenge of limited water and space to achieve a decarbonised energy system, the results of this analysis will be presented and different experts will share their views during the panel discussion sessions and a final interactive session.
Learn more about the event and register here.
