Ocean Energy and Net Zero: An International Roadmap to Develop 300GW of Ocean Energy by 2050

Date: November 23, 2023 at 13:51 GMT

A Policy Guidance Report Developed by Ocean Energy Systems.

The summer of 2023 saw new record-high temperature extremes set across the planet, with the shared impacts
of climate change becoming increasingly frequent, severe and deadly. Many global governments and institutions are now in agreement that the world is situated in the critical decade for climate action, and as a result, the scientific consensus for a rapid and comprehensive response to mitigate the worst outcomes of the climate crisis has become the defining challenge of our lifetimes. In this moment, there has never been a stronger or clearer case for the transformation of the global energy system in line with Net Zero requirements. The recent International Energy Agency (IEA) Net Zero Roadmap makes it clear that transforming the global energy system in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C will be a challenge that is addressed across multiple fronts. The IEA Net Zero Roadmap also identifies that there will need to be at least a tripling of global installed renewable energy capacity by 2030, coupled with future-proofing of infrastructure and supply chains, to achieve this goal.

With this target in mind, IEA-OES, is publishing its own roadmap, with the aim of outlining the steps that will be required to unlock the significant potential of the global wave and tidal stream energy sectors, enabling them to contribute to global Net Zero commitments.