IEA at COP27: The role of hydropower in achieving climate resilience

Egypt Time, GMT +2: 1:30 PM-3:00 PM

Hydropower produces around 3930 TWh every year. Hydropower and climate change show a double relationship. On the one hand, as a renewable energy resource, hydropower contributes to the avoidance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to the mitigation of global warming. On the other hand, climate change is likely to alter river discharge, impacting water availability and hydropower generation. Hydropower prevents the emission of about 3 GT CO2 per year, which represents about 9% of global annual CO2 emissions. In conclusion, hydropower is a cheap and mature technology that contributes to climate change mitigation, and could play a key role in the climate change adaptation of water resource availability. Roughly more than a terawatt of capacity could be added in upcoming decades. 

This event will provide the potential and role of the hydropower development for achievement of the climate related sustainable development foals and targets through generation of clean energy. Climate Agenda requires close cooperation and partnership at national, regional and global level; thus, a complimentary goal is to showcase that join development of hydropower resources provides opportunity to improve climate action planning and implementation.