REN21 ( Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century ) is a policy network and a multistakeholder governance group which is focused on renewable energy policy.
69-432: REN21's goal is to facilitate policy development, knowledge exchange, and joint action towards a rapid global transition to renewable energy . REN21 brings together governments, non-governmental organisations, research and academic institutions, international organisations, and industry to learn from one another and advance the adoption of renewable energy. To assist policy decision-making, REN21 provides knowledge about what
138-477: A 100% renewable energy future by mid-century. The GFR does not include any forecasts; rather it aims to spur debate about opportunities and challenges of a 100% renewable future. REN21 is currently developing a Renewables in Cities Global Status Report series, which will describe current developments and trends of renewable energy in cities. By offering fact-based evidence, the cities report will be
207-488: A just transition that addresses these concerns. Recently, an energy crisis is upon the nations of Europe as a result of dependence on Russia's natural gas, which was cut off during the Russia-Ukraine war. This goes to show that humanity is still heavily dependent on fossil fuel energy sources and care should be taken to have a smooth transition, less energy-shortage shocks cripple the very efforts to effectively energise
276-426: A goal to achieve in the future – not as a concept to analyse past trends. When looking at the sheer amount of energy being used by humankind, the picture is one of ever-increasing consumption of all the main energy sources available to humankind. For instance, the increased use of coal in the 19th century did not replace wood consumption, indeed more wood was burned. Another example is the deployment of passenger cars in
345-497: A high integration of wind and solar energy. They can be addressed by operating reserves . Large-scale batteries can react within seconds and are increasingly used to keep the electricity grid stable. 100% renewable energy is the goal of the use renewable resources for all energy. 100% renewable energy for electricity, heating, cooling and transport is motivated by climate change , pollution and other environmental issues, as well as economic and energy security concerns. Shifting
414-608: A policy framework, the Africa Mining Vision, to leverage the continent's mineral reserves in pursuit of sustainable development and socio-economic transformation. Achieving these goals requires mineral-rich African economies to transition from commodity export to manufacture of higher value-added products. From 2010 to 2019, the competitiveness of wind and solar power substantially increased. Unit costs of solar energy dropped sharply by 85%, wind energy by 55%, and lithium-ion batteries by 85%. This has made wind and solar power
483-471: A scarcity of accessible (e.g. affordable) wood, and eighteenth century glass-works "operated like a forest clearing enterprise". When Britain had to resort to coal after largely having run out of wood, the resulting fuel crisis triggered a chain of events that two centuries later culminated in the Industrial Revolution . Similarly, increased use of peat and coal were vital elements paving the way for
552-436: A single year to be reallocated to provide oil and gas workers with a new career of approximately equivalent pay. In non-electrified rural areas, the deployment of solar mini-grids can significantly improve electricity access. Employment opportunities by the green transition are associated with the use of renewable energy sources or building activity for infrastructure improvements and renovations. Another important driver
621-404: A third change to strict conservation and to the renewed use of coal and to permanent renewable energy sources like solar power ." The term was later globalised after the 1979 second oil shock, during the 1981 United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy. From the 1990s, debates on energy transition have increasingly taken climate change mitigation into account. Parties to
690-427: A tool for various stakeholders to inform regulatory frameworks, support city-level commitments, and facilitate better multi-level integration to help shape the debate on cities' transitioning to renewable energy. The second report was released in 2021. In order to bring together its contributor community, REN21 holds its Renewables Academy. These events offer an environment for contributing new ideas on issues central to
759-490: A transition to sustainable energy is underway to limit climate change . Most of the sustainable energy is renewable energy . Therefore, another term for energy transition is renewable energy transition . The current transition aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy quickly and sustainably, mostly by phasing-down fossil fuels and changing as many processes as possible to operate on low carbon electricity . A previous energy transition perhaps took place during
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#1732869606047828-535: Is energy security and independence, with increasing importance in Europe and Taiwan because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . Unlike Europes 2010s dependence on Russian gas, even if China stops supplying solar panels those already installed continue generating electricity. Militaries are using and developing electric vehicles, particularly for their stealthiness, but not tanks . As of 2023 renewable energy in Taiwan
897-477: Is aiming for 200 GW by 2035, produced by 150 additional reactors. With the switch to clean energy sources where power is generated via electricity, end uses of energy such as transportation and heating need to be electrified to run on these clean energy sources. Concurrent with this switch is an expansion of the grid to handle larger amounts of generated electricity to supply to these end uses. Two key areas of electrification are electric vehicles and heat pumps. It
966-810: Is also a partner of the Global Tracking Framework (GTF), which is convened by the UN Secretary General's Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Initiative. REN21 also collaborates closely with other intergovernmental organisations such as the International Energy Agency (IEA), the World Bank and IRENA . The network includes more than 100 members from industry associations, international organisations, national governments, NGOs, and science and academia. Transition to renewable energy Too Many Requests If you report this error to
1035-625: Is based in Paris, France, and is a registered non-profit association under German law ( e.V. ). The organisation has more than 100 member organisations as of 2024 and over 4000 active community members. REN21 was launched in June 2004 as an outcome of the International Conference for Renewable Energies in Bonn , Germany. Paul Hugo Suding , was the first executive secretary upon REN21's formation in 2006. He
1104-422: Is by lobbying local and national governments. Historically, the fossil fuel lobby has been highly successful in limiting regulations. From 1988 to 2005, Exxon Mobil , one of the largest oil companies in the world, spent nearly $ 16 million in anti-climate change lobbying and providing misleading information about climate change to the general public. The fossil fuel industry acquires significant support through
1173-447: Is easier to sustainably produce electricity than it is to sustainably produce liquid fuels. Therefore, adoption of electric vehicles is a way to make transport more sustainable. While electric vehicle technology is relatively mature in road transport, electric shipping and aviation are still early in their development, hence sustainable liquid fuels may have a larger role to play in these sectors. A key sustainable solution to heating
1242-428: Is economically important in some regions, and a transition to renewables would decrease its viability and could have severe impacts on the communities that rely on this business. Not only do these communities face energy poverty already, but they also face economic collapse when the coal mining businesses move elsewhere or disappear altogether. This broken system perpetuates the poverty and vulnerability that decreases
1311-520: Is electrification ( heat pumps , or the less efficient electric heater ). The IEA estimates that heat pumps currently provide only 5% of space and water heating requirements globally, but could provide over 90%. Use of ground source heat pumps not only reduces total annual energy loads associated with heating and cooling, it also flattens the electric demand curve by eliminating the extreme summer peak electric supply requirements. However, heat pumps and resistive heating alone will not be sufficient for
1380-404: Is expected to reshape geopolitical power by reducing reliance on long-distance fossil fuel trade and enhancing the importance of regional energy markets. A renewable energy transition can present negative social impacts for some people who rely on the existing energy economy or who are affected by mining for minerals required for the transition. This has led to calls for a just transition , which
1449-524: Is far too small to help in a blockade. Centralised facilities such as oil refineries and thermal power plants can be put out of action by air attack, whereas although solar can be attacked decentralised power such as solar and wind may be less vulnerable. Solar and batteries reduces risky fuel convoys. However large hydropower plants are vulnerable. Some say that nuclear power plants are unlikely to be military targets, but others conclude that civil NPPs in war zones can be weaponised and exploited by
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#17328696060471518-470: Is feasible and economically viable. A cross-sectoral, holistic approach is seen as an important feature of 100% renewable energy systems and is based on the assumption "that the best solutions can be found only if one focuses on the synergies between the sectors" of the energy system such as electricity, heat, transport or industry. In the 1970s and 1980s, nuclear power gained a large share in some countries . In France and Slovakia more than half of
1587-674: Is happening now in the renewable energy sector and how the latest trends will impact future developments. REN21 facilitates the collection of information on renewable energy. It does this through six products: the Renewables Global Status Report (GSR), regional status reports, global futures reports (GFR), thematic reports, the REN21 Renewables Academy, and the International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) series. The REN21 Secretariat
1656-487: Is picking up speed, urgent action is required in heating, cooling, and transport. The 2021 GSR report found that the share of fossil fuels had not changed in the last decade, with fossil fuels accounting for 80.3% of total final energy use (TFEC) in 2009 versus 80.2% in 2019. Furthermore, the report highlighted that only 5 G20 countries had set targets for the share of renewable energy, with only 3 on track to reach their goals (EU-27, Germany, Italy). Alongside these findings,
1725-445: Is predicted to become a driver of sustainable economic development. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has identified 37 minerals as critical for clean energy technologies and estimates that by 2050 global demand for these will increase by 235 per cent. Africa has large reserves of many of these so-called "green minerals, such as bauxite , cobalt , copper , chromium , manganese and graphite . The African Union has outlined
1794-674: Is required to mitigate the effects of climate change . Coal, oil and gas combustion account for 89% of CO 2 emissions and still provide 78% of primary energy consumption. Despite the knowledge about the risks of climate change and the increasing number of climate policies adopted since the 1980s, however, energy transitions have not accelerated towards decarbonization beyond historical trends and remain far off track in achieving climate targets. The deployment of renewable energy can generate co-benefits of climate change mitigation : positive socio-economic effects on employment, industrial development, health and energy access. Depending on
1863-550: The Dutch Golden Age , roughly spanning the entire 17th century. Another example where resource depletion triggered technological innovation and a shift to new energy sources is 19th century whaling : whale oil eventually became replaced by kerosene and other petroleum-derived products. To speed up the energy transition it is also conceivable that there will be government buyouts or bailouts of coal mining regions. A rapid energy transition to very-low or zero-carbon sources
1932-487: The IPCC defines as, "A set of principles, processes and practices that aim to ensure that no people, workers, places, sectors, countries or regions are left behind in the transition from a high-carbon to a low carbon economy ." Use of local energy sources may stabilise and stimulate some local economies, create opportunities for energy trade between communities, states and regions, and increase energy security . Coal mining
2001-519: The Industrial Revolution from 1760 onwards, from wood and other biomass to coal , followed by oil and later natural gas . Over three-quarters of the world's energy needs are met by burning fossil fuels , but this usage emits greenhouse gases. Energy production and consumption are responsible for most human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. To meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, emissions must be reduced as soon as possible and reach net-zero by mid-century. Since
2070-672: The adaptive capacity of coal mining communities. Potential mitigation could include expanding the program base for vulnerable communities to assist with new training programs, opportunities for economic development and subsidies to assist with the transition. Increasing energy prices resulting from an energy transition may negatively impact developing countries including Vietnam and Indonesia. Increased mining for lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and other critical minerals needed for expansion of renewable energy infrastructure has created increased environmental conflict and environmental justice issues for some communities. A large portion of
2139-465: The chemical industry with an expected large-scale implementation by 2025. A shift in energy sources has the potential to redefine relations and dependencies between countries, stakeholders and companies. Countries or land owners with resources – fossil or renewable – face massive losses or gains depending on the development of any energy transition. In 2021, energy costs reached 13% of global gross domestic product . Global rivalries have contributed to
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2208-509: The 20th century. This evolution triggered an increase in both oil consumption (to drive the car) and coal consumption (to make the steel needed for the car). In other words, according to this approach, humankind never performed a single energy transition in its history but performed several energy additions. Contemporary energy transitions differ in terms of motivation and objectives, drivers and governance. As development progressed, different national systems became more and more integrated becoming
2277-556: The Caribbean, an overview of renewable energy policies in a time of transition (produced with the IEA and IRENA), as well as a publication on decarbonising transport in the G20. The Global Futures Report (GFR) series presents expert views and perspectives on the feasibility and challenges of achieving a world fed by renewable energy. The 2017 report documents global views about the feasibility of achieving
2346-833: The Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS , 2014), the Southern African Development Community (SADC, 2015, 2018), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe ( UNECE , 2015, 2017), and the East African Community (EAC, 2016). In its Thematic Spotlight report series, REN21 looks at a certain topics in-depth. Past reports include a publication on mini-grid policies, a ten-year overview of renewable energy developments, tendering and community power in Latin America and
2415-758: The United States (WIREC, 2008); Delhi, India (DIREC, 2010); Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (ADIREC, 2013); South Africa (SAIREC, 2015); and Mexico City, Mexico (MEXIREC, 2017). REN21 works in cooperation with other organizations. A sister report to REN21's GSR is the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment Report (GTR) produced by the Frankfurt School – UNEP Collaborating Center for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance. REN21
2484-504: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 827698715 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Fri, 29 Nov 2024 08:40:06 GMT Energy transition An energy transition (or energy system transformation ) is a major structural change to energy supply and consumption in an energy system . Currently,
2553-745: The agreement committed "to limit global warming to "well below 2 °C, preferably 1.5 °C compared to pre-industrial levels". This requires a rapid energy transition with a downshift of fossil fuel production to stay within the carbon emissions budget . In this context, the term energy transition encompasses a reorientation of energy policy . This could imply a shift from centralized to distributed generation. It also includes attempts to replace overproduction and avoidable energy consumption with energy-saving measures and increased efficiency . The historical transitions from locally supplied wood, water and wind energies to globally supplied fossil and nuclear fuels has induced growth in end-use demand through
2622-417: The cheapest form for new installations in many regions. Levelized costs for combined onshore wind or solar with storage for a few hours are already lower than for gas peaking power plants . In 2021, the new electricity generating capacity of renewables exceeded 80% of all installed power. The emissions reductions necessary to keep global warming below 2 °C will require a system-wide transformation of
2691-565: The country and the deployment scenario, replacing coal power plants can more than double the number of jobs per average MW capacity. The energy transition could create many green jobs , for example in Africa. The costs for retraining workers for the renewable energy industry was found to be trivial for both coal in the U.S. and oil sands in Canada. The latter of which would only demand 2–6% of federal, provincial, and territorial oil and gas subsidies for
2760-529: The data found in the GSR. It is available in multiple languages. The Regional Status Report series focuses on the progress of renewable energy deployment in specific regions. This report series encourages and supports regional data collection as well as informed decision making. Regional status reports have been produced since 2009 and include: China (2009), India (2010), the Middle East and Northern Africa ( MENA , 2009),
2829-445: The dependence on local weather conditions. With highly variable prices, electricity storage and grid extension become more competitive. Researchers have found that "costs for accommodating the integration of variable renewable energy sources in electricity systems are expected to be modest until 2030". Furthermore, "it will be more challenging to supply the entire energy system with renewable energy". Fast fluctuations increase with
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2898-408: The driving forces of the economics behind the low carbon energy transition. Technological innovations developed within a country have the potential to become an economic force. The energy transition discussion is heavily influenced by contributions from the fossil fuel industries . One way that oil companies are able to continue their work despite growing environmental, social and economic concerns
2967-505: The electrical power is still nuclear. It is a low carbon energy source but comes with risks and increasing costs. Since the late 1990s, deployment has slowed down. Decommissioning increases as many reactors are close to the end of their lifetime or long before because of anti-nuclear sentiments. Germany stopped its last three nuclear power plants by mid April 2023. On the other hand, the China General Nuclear Power Group
3036-409: The electrification of industrial heat. This because in several processes higher temperatures are required which cannot be achieved with these types of equipment. For example, for the production of ethylene via steam cracking temperatures as high as 900 °C are required. Hence, drastically new processes are required. Nevertheless, power-to-heat is expected to be the first step in the electrification of
3105-463: The energy sector (power, heating and cooling and transport), reporting on policy development, the energy industry, investment and markets. The report is based on data and information contributed by the REN21 member network of more than 900 experts and researchers from around the world and undergoes an open peer-review process. The report illustrates that, while transformation in the power sector with renewables
3174-479: The energy transformation. In 6 plenary sessions, 7 parallel sessions, and 3 workshops, participants collectively addressed complementary themes such as heat, transport, and energy systems 2.0. Initiated at the renewables 2004 conference in Bonn, IREC is held on a biennial basis, hosted by a national government, and convened by REN21. IRECs have been held in the following countries: Beijing, China (BIREC, 2005); Washington,
3243-503: The existing banking and investment structure. The concept that the industry should no longer be financially supported has led to the social movement known as divestment. Divestment is defined as the removal of investment capital from stocks, bonds or funds in oil, coal and gas companies for both moral and financial reasons. Banks, investing firms, governments, universities, institutions and businesses are all being challenged with this new moral argument against their existing investments in
3312-683: The fossil fuel industry and many; such as Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the University of California, New York City and more; have begun making the shift to more sustainable, eco-friendly investments. In 2024 the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) projected that by 2050, over half of the world's energy will be carried by electricity and over three-quarters of the global energy mix will be from renewables. Although overtaken by both biomass and clean hydrogen, fossil fuels were still projected to supply 12% of energy. The transition
3381-409: The global workforce works directly or indirectly for the fossil fuel economy . Moreover, many other industries are currently dependent on unsustainable energy sources (such as the steel industry or cement and concrete industry ). Transitioning these workforces during the rapid period of economic change requires considerable forethought and planning. The international labor movement has advocated for
3450-521: The growth potential of this technology is limited. Wind and solar power are considered more scalable, but still require vast quantities of land and materials. They have higher potential for growth. These sources have grown nearly exponentially in recent decades thanks to rapidly decreasing costs. In 2019, wind power supplied 5.3% worldwide electricity while solar power supplied 2.6%. While production from most types of hydropower plants can be actively controlled, production from wind and solar power depends on
3519-404: The hostile forces not only for impeding energy supplies (and thus shattering the public morale of the adversary) but also for blackmailing and coercing the decisionmakers of the attacked state and their international allies with a vision of man-made nuclear disaster. For many developing economies, for example in the mineral-rich countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, the transition to renewable energies
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#17328696060473588-534: The installation of energy storage and super grids are vital to enable the use of variable, weather-dependent technologies. However fossil-fuel subsidies are slowing the energy transition. An energy transition is a broad shift in technologies and behaviours that are needed to replace one source of energy with another. A prime example is the change from a pre-industrial system relying on traditional biomass, wind, water and muscle power to an industrial system characterized by pervasive mechanization, steam power and
3657-486: The integration of renewable energy, local electricity production is becoming more variable. It has been recommended that " coupling sectors , energy storage , smart grids , demand side management , sustainable biofuels , hydrogen electrolysis and derivatives will ultimately be needed to accommodate large shares of renewables in energy systems". Fluctuations can be smoothened by combining wind and sun power and by extending electricity grids over large areas . This reduces
3726-419: The integration of renewable energy. By 2040, the grid must expand by more than 80 million kilometers to manage renewable sources, which are projected to account for over 80% of the global power capacity increase over the next two decades. Failure to enhance grid infrastructure timely could lead to an additional 58 gigatonnes of CO2 emissions by 2050, significantly risking a 2°C global temperature rise. With
3795-576: The large, international systems seen today. Historical changes of energy systems have been extensively studied. While historical energy changes were generally protracted affairs, unfolding over many decades, this does not necessarily hold true for the present energy transition, which is unfolding under very different policy and technological conditions. For current energy systems, many lessons can be learned from history. The need for large amounts of firewood in early industrial processes in combination with prohibitive costs for overland transportation led to
3864-494: The largest scale storage technology is pumped storage hydroelectricity , accounting for the great majority of energy storage capacity installed worldwide. Other important forms of energy storage are electric batteries and power to gas . The "Electricity Grids and Secure Energy Transitions" report by the IEA emphasizes the necessity of increasing grid investments to over $ 600 billion annually by 2030, up from $ 300 billion, to accommodate
3933-430: The late 2010s, the renewable energy transition has also been driven by the rapidly falling cost of both solar and wind power . Another benefit of the energy transition is its potential to reduce the health and environmental impacts of the energy industry . Heating of buildings is being electrified , with heat pumps being the most efficient technology by far. To improve the flexibility of electrical grids ,
4002-400: The organisation called for renewable energy to be a key performance indicator (KPI) in all economic activity. The GSR report is complemented by a Perspectives Report that presents overarching trends and developments. It outlines what is happening to drive the transition to renewable energy and details why it is not happening fast enough or as fast as possible. This document draws extensively on
4071-407: The other suggests the term "energy additions" as better reflecting the changes in global energy supply in the last three centuries. The chronologically first discourse was most broadly described by Vaclav Smil . It underlines the change in the energy mix of countries and the global economy. By looking at data in percentages of the primary energy source used in a given context, it paints a picture of
4140-483: The rapid expansion of engineering research, education and standardisation. The mechanisms for the whole-systems changes include new discipline in Transition Engineering amongst all engineering professions, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators. Historic approaches to past energy transitions are shaped by two main discourses. One argues that humankind experienced several energy transitions in its past, while
4209-449: The reference. Other renewable energy sources include bioenergy , geothermal energy and tidal energy , but they currently have higher net lifetime costs. By 2022, hydroelectricity is the largest source of renewable electricity in the world, providing 16% of the world's total electricity in 2019. However, because of its heavy dependence on geography and the generally high environmental and social impact of hydroelectric power plants,
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#17328696060474278-508: The renewable-energy transformation. REN21's first Renewables Academy was held in 2014, in Bonn, Germany, with 150 participants from 40 countries. Discussions focused on identifying policy drivers needed to advance a global energy transition took place over four plenary sessions and six parallel sessions. The second Renewables Academy took place in 2018, in Berlin, Germany, with over 160 members from 80 countries meeting to discuss how to accelerate
4347-457: The term energy transition was coined by politicians and media. It was popularised by US President Jimmy Carter in his 1977 Address on the Nation on Energy, calling to "look back into history to understand our energy problem. Twice in the last several hundred years, there has been a transition in the way people use energy ... Because we are now running out of gas and oil , we must prepare quickly for
4416-455: The total global primary energy supply to renewable sources requires a transition of the energy system , since most of today's energy is derived from non-renewable fossil fuels . Research into this topic is fairly new, with few studies published before 2009, but has gained increasing attention in recent years. The majority of studies show that a global transition to 100% renewable energy across all sectors – power, heat, transport and industry –
4485-405: The use of coal. The IPCC does not define energy transition in the glossary of its Sixth Assessment Report but it does define transition as: "The process of changing from one state or condition to another in a given period of time. Transition can occur in individuals, firms, cities, regions and nations, and can be based on incremental or transformative change." After the 1973 oil crisis ,
4554-538: The way energy is produced, distributed, stored, and consumed. For a society to replace one form of energy with another, multiple technologies and behaviours in the energy system must change. Many climate change mitigation pathways envision three main aspects of a low-carbon energy system: The most important energy sources in the low carbon energy transition are wind power and solar power . They could reduce net emissions by 4 billion tons CO 2 equivalent per year each, half of it with lower net lifetime costs than
4623-415: The weather. Electrical grids must be extended and adjusted to avoid wastage. Dammed hydropower is a dispatchable source, while solar and wind are variable renewable energy sources. These sources require dispatchable backup generation or energy storage to provide continuous and reliable electricity. For this reason, storage technologies also play a key role in the renewable energy transition. As of 2020,
4692-433: The world's energy systems as having changed significantly over time, going from biomass to coal, to oil, and now a mix of mostly coal, oil and natural gas. Until the 1950s, the economic mechanism behind energy systems was local rather than global. The second discourse was most broadly described by Jean-Baptiste Fressoz. It emphasises that the term "energy transition" was first used by politicians, not historians, to describe
4761-418: Was succeeded by Virginia Sonntag O'Brien (2008–2011), Christine Lins (2011–2018), and Rana Adib (2018–present). The Renewables Global Status Report (GSR) is the most frequently referenced report on the subject of the renewable energy market, industry, and policy trends. This annual report, which has been produced since 2005 details the current status of the deployment of renewable technologies globally, covering
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