International Day of Clean Energy Date in the current year: January 26, 2024

Human life on Earth is impossible without energy; the problem is, we still get most of our energy from fossil fuels (coal, crude oil, and natural gas), which are a) non-renewable and b) harmful for the environment. Fossil fuels are responsible for almost 90% of global carbon dioxide emissions that intensify the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change.

The key to satisfying for our need for energy and at the same time reducing the environmental impact of energy production is switching to the so-called clean energy sources. The term “clean energy” refers to energy coming from renewable sources and generated without greenhouse emissions. It is sometimes used interchangeably with the terms “green energy”, “sustainable energy” and “renewable energy”, but there is a slight difference.

Renewable energy is energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed. Sustainable energy is energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs. Green energy is energy produced from a source and using a method that causes no harm to the environment.

So, for example, biofuels are regarded as a renewable energy source, but not a sustainable one because some of their production methods can lead to deforestation and loss or biodiversity. Nuclear power is sustainable and clean, but non-renewable and not green, since radioactive waste and nuclear accidents pose a hazard to the environment.

The main examples of clean energy, also referred to as carbon-free energy, are nuclear power, hydroelectric energy (hydropower), solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy. Their use has two main benefits: it helps meet growing energy demand while simultaneously reducing our dependence on non-renewable energy sources with high carbon dioxide emissions, and it lowers greenhouse emissions, helping humanity fight climate change.

The United Nations General Assembly declared January 26 as the International Day of Clean Energy in August 23. Such a date was chosen to commemorate the founding anniversary of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Founded in 2009, IRENA is an intergovernmental organization focused on facilitating cooperation, advancing knowledge, and promoting the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy.

The International Day of Clean Energy aims to raise awareness of the importance of reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and transitioning to alternative energy sources that are clean, sustainable, affordable and reliable in order to achieve a sustainable future for all people in the world and our planet. The ultimate goal of transitioning is to cut carbon dioxide emissions by half by 2030 and achieve zero emissions by 2050, which is supposed to prevent the worst possible consequences of climate change.