Post: Renewable energy passes 30% of global supply

Renewable energy passes 30% of global supply

Renewable energy accounted for more than 30% of the world’s electricity for the first time last year, according to new figures.

Published on 8 May the report by climate thinktank Ember found that major growth in wind and solar helped push global electricity production from 19% of electricity in 2000 to more than 30% of global electricity last year.

The report covers 80 countries which represent 92% of the world’s energy demand and historic data from 215 other countries. Solar was the world’s main supplier of electricity last year, providing twice as much new energy than coal. It maintained its status as the fastest-growing source of energy for the 19th year in a row.

China was the main contributor in 2023, accounting for 51% of the additional global solar generation and 60% of new global wind generation. Other major contributors to global wind growth include the EU (24%) and Brazil (7%), while global solar growth was provided by the EU (12%) and the US (11%).

Together the top four solar growth economies – China, the EU, the US and Brazil – accounted for 81% of solar power growth in 2023. Combined with nuclear, the world generated almost 40% of its electricity from low-carbon sources in 2023. As a result, the CO2 intensity of global power generation reached a new record low, 12% lower than its peak in 2007.

Source: Ember