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05 POLICY LANDSCAPE
This chapter highlights various policy types – such as targets,
mandates, incentives and enabling mechanisms – that were
added or revised during 2015 in the power, heating and
cooling, and transport sectors at the regional, national and
sub-national levels; the final section focuses on local policy
developments. Developments related to each type of policy
mechanism are described independently, although a targeted
mix of complementary policies often addresses these sectors
jointly. Renewable energy policies often are one component
of broader national clean energy strategies, which also may
include mechanisms to promote energy efficiency. (p See Energy
Efficiency chapter and Figure 38.)
The new policy developments featured in this chapter are
intended to provide a snapshot of 2015 developments and
emerging trends in renewable energy policy. This chapter does
not attempt to assess or analyse the effectiveness of specific
policy mechanisms. Specific details on new policy adoptions and
policy revisions are included in the policy reference tables and
policy endnotes, beginning on pages 161 and 247, respectively.
TARGETS
Worldwide, targets for renewable energy continue to be a
primary means for governments to express their commitment to
renewable energy deployment. As of year-end 2015, renewable
energy targets had been established in 173 countries at the
national or state/provincial level. Targets also have been adopted
at the regional level, incorporating joint commitments by several
countries.
Setting ambitious, long-term renewable energy targets
demonstrates political commitment and can catalyse change
by providing an official mandate for action. Targets take many
forms and have varying levels of specificity, and many are linked
to broader development initiatives. To achieve their targets, policy
makers often adopt mechanisms including regulatory measures,
fiscal incentives and public financing options. Increasingly,
in many countries, policy makers are tracking the success of
adopted measures and, if necessary, are revising existing policies
or instituting new measures to meet their goals. A number of
targets adopted by developing nations have included explicit calls
for international assistance to help achieve their stated goals.
Targets are adopted in a variety of ways, ranging from
announcements by governments or heads of state to fully codified
plans accompanied by quantifiable metrics and compliance
mechanisms. 3 The lines between target and regulatory policy
mechanisms are often blurred, as in the case of RPS that establish
mandatory shares, or “targets”, of renewable power that utilities
must achieve by a specified date.
A number of regions have established targets for renewable
energy deployment in recent years. Led by the EU, this trend has
expanded to cover organisations in Africa (ECOWAS) and the
Caribbean (CARICOM). Although no new regional commitments
were established in 2015, the EU built on its 2020 targets by
establishing a long-term objective of a minimum of 27% of final
energy consumption by 2030; while binding at the regional level,
the 2030 target lacks legally binding national mandates. 4 In
ECOWAS, almost all of the 15 member countries finalised their
National Renewable Energy Action Plans that were mandated
under the regional energy policy. 5
Several countries around the world set economy-wide targets
for renewable energy deployment in 2015. ( R See Reference
Tables R15 and R16.) They include many in Africa (Djibouti,
Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Togo), Asia and the Pacific (China,
Indonesia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vanuatu), Europe (France and
Portugal), the Middle East (Jordan, Lebanon and the United Arab
Emirates) and South America (Brazil and Guyana). 6 (Additional
sector-specific renewable energy targets are discussed later in
this chapter.) Also in 2015, 74 countries identified quantifiable
renewable energy goals in their INDC submissions i . 7 ( p See
Sidebar 4.) Many countries have also joined international
renewable energy initiatives with global targets, including SE4All.
In addition to formal regional targets, the development of new
sustainable energy centres for Small-Island Developing States
(SIDS) as well as regional centres in the Caribbean (CCREEE),
Southern Africa (SACREEE) and East Africa (EACREEE),
i INDCs are national post-2020 climate action commitments submitted to the UNFCCC in preparation for the Paris COP. They include a mix of new and
existing renewable energy targets.
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