A new report from London-based electricity transition research organization Ember has revealed that Wind and Solar now account for a tenth of the world’s energy.
Based on stats documented mid-year by the 48 countries that produced 83% of the planet’s electricity, renewable sources have become significant — actively working to reduce coal burn.
Wind and solar’s global share increased from 8.1% last year to a record of 9.8% at the end of this past June — double what it was in 2015 when the Paris Climate Agreement came into play. It also now accounts for roughly as much carbon-free power as nuclear plants (currently producing 10.5% of global electricity demand).
As a result of an unexpected drop in electricity demand at the hands of COVID-19, coal-centric electrical generation fell 8.3% during the same period.
“Countries across the world are now on the same path – building wind turbines and solar panels to replace electricity from coal- and gas-fired power plants,” noted senior Ember analyst Dave Jones. “[If we have] a chance of limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees, coal generation needs to fall by 13% every year this decade … the fact that, during a global pandemic, coal generation has still only fallen by 8% shows just how far off-track we still are.”
Canada’s electricity share from wind and solar has grown 17% — sitting at a modest 5.3% of our total electricity.
