Wind is the cornerstone of recovery, says industry

An impressive list of industry players, headed up by leading trade bodies, have put forward the wind industry’s case to be a “key building block” of the post-Coronavirus economic recovery.

by David Weston 6 May 2020

New dawn: Wind industry wants to take its place as the bedrock of a post-covid economy

Under the banner "Rebuild Better", the wind industry wants to show decision-makers around the world it is ready to provide the growth and jobs needed as economies recover from the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Led by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the group said current stimulus packages around the world already amount to $10 trillion of investment. But the key will be in how this money is spent.

The group hopes the funding will be used to build a resilient and sustainable economy with renewables, and particularly wind power, at its core.

Renewables can provide more jobs than the fossil fuel industry — up to four million by 2030 "if deployment takes place at the necessary rate" — as well as upgrade key infrastructure and can be a driver of research and development. 

"The Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented social and economic impact around the world, and how we recover from the crisis depends on the actions that we all take over the coming months," said GWEC CEO Ben Backwell.

"Young people, in particular, will bear the financial, social, health and environmental costs of the stimulus plans now being designed, and carry the debt associated with this spending, so we must make sure they are able to benefit from today's decisions," he added.

Backwell said any recovery plans should avoid additional support for fossil fuel industries "which need to be phased-out to achieve the energy transition".

Signatories include leading turbine providers Vestas, Siemens Gamesa, Goldwind and Nordex, as well as developers such as Iberdrola, Ørsted, and EDPR.

It is also supported by a wealth of global wind industry associations from Europe (WindEurope), the US (AWEA), China (CWEA), Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Mongolia, Colombia, Turkey, and Japan.

Giles Dickson, CEO at WindEurope, said decisions taken today about the recovery will have a long-term impact.

"Governments should align their recovery packages with climate goals and invest in the job-creating potential of onshore and offshore wind. Their economies will bounce back stronger and more resilient," he said.