Energy efficiency and improved energy access can advance the share of renewables in the global energy mix up to 36 per cent by 2030, according to the new report from International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

The report, "REmap 2030," was released in Abu Dhabi yesterday. The study maps out a path for doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix based on the technologies that are available today, said a Wam report.

"There is a strong economic case for the renewable energy transition. When considering climate change mitigation, health impact and job creation, the transition practically pays for itself," Adnan Z Amin, Irena's director-general, said.

"More renewables in the energy system provide greater flexibility, increase energy independence, and make the system more resilient," he said.

The deployment of modern renewables - renewable energy sources that exclude traditional use of biomass - needs to grow more than threefold, the study shows.

A rethinking of energy taxes and subsidies is critical to the economic case for renewable energy. A reduction of fossil fuel subsidies will facilitate the uptake of renewables. Subsidies for renewable energy can disappear altogether if green house gas emissions and other air pollution are reasonably priced, it said.

"Many governments are underestimating the potential of renewables in their planning for energy transition. To reach the goal of doubling the share of renewable energy by 2030, additional efforts are needed, particularly in the building, industry and transport sectors," Dolf Gielen, director of Irena's Innovation and Technology Centre in Bonn, Germany said.

"We identified five areas of national action: Planning realistic but ambitious transition pathways; creating an enabling business environment; managing knowledge of technology options and their deployment; ensuring smooth integration of renewables into the existing infrastructure; and unleashing innovation."

"REmap 2030" builds on the analysis of the energy supply and demand of 26 countries, which account for 74 per cent of projected global total final energy consumption in 2030.