South Africa, India, Brazil, Indonesia have emerged as high-need hotspots for renewable energy (RE) investments, according to a report by Allianz Climate and Energy Monitor 2017. The G20 needs to double investment in renewable energy to meet Paris climate goals, the report states, whilst policies supporting solar and wind investments are now starting to pay off.
The Allianz Climate and Energy Monitor 2017 ranked South Africa 10th among G20 countries for general renewable energy investment conditions and 12th for its investment attractiveness. It scored high for its depth of capital markets, even though a high inflation forecast brought down the overall score. The country has steadily increased its renewables capacity in the last years and has a relatively high presence of leading renewable energy businesses.
South African currently ranks 2nd in terms of its renewable energy investment needs.
The same report examined the needs and investment climate for all G20 countries regarding renewable energy. Germany, UK and France maintain the top three positions in the 2017 edition. They combine a largely supportive policy environment for renewable energy with a mature market and adequate general investment environment.
China holds its place in this best-performers club, maintaining fourth position. With roaring renewable energy markets and a consistent policy push, China installed more solar photovoltaic than the rest of the G20 combined in 2016. India, South Africa, Brazil and Indonesia emerge as high-need hotspots owing to increasing demand for energy, sheer size and vulnerability of the existing power system to a changing climate.
The Allianz Group is one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with more than 86-million retail and corporate customers. Allianz customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insurance. Allianz is one of the world’s largest investors, managing over €650-billion on behalf of its insurance customers while its asset managers, Allianz Global Investors and PIMCO, manage an additional €1.3-trillion in third-party assets.