Renewables now make up 32% of global electricity generation
Renewable energy, sourced from replenishable natural resources like sunlight, wind, and geothermal heat, is pivotal in electricity generation, heating, cooling, and transportation. It offers off-grid solutions for remote areas, produces minimal greenhouse gases, and enhances energy security due to its wide geographical distribution. As global efforts to mitigate climate change intensify, the shift to low-carbon energy, led by renewables, is accelerating. Technologies such as solar PV and wind are becoming cost-competitive with fossil fuels. Increasing the renewable share in energy systems involves electrifying heating and transport sectors, using biofuels, and deploying solar water heating, biomass burners, and geothermal heating. Achieving climate goals requires rapid renewable energy deployment across all sectors, supported by favourable policies and market conditions.
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0.0GW
total global installed capacity of solar in 2024, compared to 1,135 GW of wind (Statistical Review of World Energy)
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was the first year that solar electricity generation surpassed coal in the European Union (Statistical Review of World Energy)
0%
share of total global generation from wind and solar in 2024 (Statistical Review of World Energy)
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million households in the UK (or equivalent) were powered by wind energy in 2024 (RenewableUK)
New Energy World stories
Two Commonwealth regions look forward to increasing renewable power
20th July 2026
First, New Zealand has passed a law that enables the development of offshore renewable energy: offshore wind, wave and tidal power. The Offshore Renew...
Wind picks up in western Europe after EU approves €63bn French state aid scheme
20th July 2026
France, reportedly will use the multi-billion budget to fund the construction and operation of 11 offshore wind farms. Developers will place these 11 ...
Beijing announces three-year plan to reduce carbon emissions and expand clean energy
20th July 2026
The directive requires non-fossil energy consumption to increase by about 1% annually through 2028. It also mandates limiting coal use in power genera...
Industry responds to EU funding block on Chinese inverters
20th July 2026
According to press reports, the rules cover inverters, which convert the DC electricity generated by solar panels to the AC of the grid, as well as po...
Clean cooking gains ground in Africa as investment rises, IEA says
20th July 2026
The IEA finds that $740mn of the $2.2bn pledged at the first Clean Cooking Summit for Africa has been disbursed to projects across nearly 30 countries...
Technical guidance publications
EI 3604
Embedding circularity across the life cycle of assets
July 2026
EI 3604 Embedding circularity across the lifecycle of assets helps companies integrate circular economy principles into every stage of an asset’s life...
EI 3642
G+ Vessel management in offshore wind for new entrants and non-marine professionals
June 2026
EI 3642 G+ Vessel management in offshore wind for new entrants and non-marine professionals provides an accessible, non-technical overview of vessel m...
EI 3637
SafetyOn 2025 Onshore wind health and safety incident data report
June 2026
EI 3637 SafetyOn 2025 Onshore wind health and safety incident data report presents the analysis of health and safety incident data submitted by Safety...
EI 3640
G+ 2025 incident data report
June 2026
The G+ 2025 incident data report examines the patterns behind health and safety performance of offshore wind projects among G+ members.This year saw c...
EI 3635
G+ Welfare in offshore wind study: existing practices and future opportunities
June 2026
EI 3635 Welfare in offshore wind study: existing practices and future opportunities assesses current welfare practices, identifies gaps and explores o...