Wind, solar rose 8% in G20 power mix since Paris Accord: Report

Wind and solar are replacing coal power’s share in G20 countries, reaching a combined share of 13% of electricity in 2022, up from 5% in 2015, but the pace of transition is not fast enough, finds the report

Wind and solar have reduced the share of coal power in G20 countries since the Paris Agreement, according to an analysis of data from the fourth annual Global  Electricity Review published by energy think-tank Ember. However, the transformation is not yet happening fast enough for a pathway aligned with 1.5°C,  although there are positive signs.  

Brazil, which will host the G20 next year, has the highest share of clean electricity in the G20. In 2022, Brazil generated 89% of its electricity from clean sources, which includes 63% hydro, 12% wind power and 3% solar power. Fossil fuels accounted for 11% of Brazil’s generation in 2022, the majority of which was gas (7%).  

The report found that India, however, is much further behind in decarbonising its electricity system. It has the second-highest coal reliance, after South Africa, but is already getting 9% of its electricity from solar and wind.  

“Brazil is way ahead of India in securing a clean electricity system,” said Dave Jones, Ember’s head of data insights. “G20 hosts can both learn from each others’ successes. India is stepping up as a solar king, with generation growing by 45 times in the past decade to reach 5% of its power in 2022. Brazil had a headstart with a strong base in hydroelectric power, but they haven’t rested on their laurels, with a truly impressive growth in wind power, which has grown 16 times in the past decade and reached 12% of its power in 2022.”

The data revealed that in G20 countries, wind and solar reached a combined share of 13% of electricity in 2022, up from 5% in 2015. In this period, the share of wind power doubled and the share of solar power quadrupled. As a result, coal power fell from 43% of G20 electricity in 2015 to 39% in 2022. Shares of other sources of electricity remained broadly stable, with fluctuations of just 1-2%, the report added. 

“Replacing coal power with wind and solar is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet for the climate,” said Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior analyst at Ember. “Not only do solar and wind cut emissions fast, they also bring down electricity costs and reduce health-harming pollution.”  

Across the G20, progress towards wind and solar power is mixed. The leaders are Germany (32%), the UK (29%) and Australia (25%). Turkey, Brazil, the US and China have consistently held above the global average. At the bottom are Russia, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia with nearly zero wind and solar power in their mix.  

According to the report, 13 of the G20 still have over half of their electricity from fossil fuels as of 2022. Saudi Arabia stands out with almost 100% of its electricity from oil and gas. South Africa (86%), Indonesia (82%) and India (77%) are the next most reliant on fossil fuels, all predominantly coal.  

OECD countries in G20 gear up to 2030 coal phase-out 

Among advanced (OECD) economies in the G20, which should target coal phase-out by 2030, there has been a reduction in coal generation by 42% in absolute terms from 2,624 TWh in 2015 to 1,855 TWh in 2022.  

The report revealed that the fastest decline in coal power in the G20 has been achieved by the United Kingdom, which reduced its coal generation by 93% since the Paris Agreement was signed, falling from 23% of electricity in 2015 to just 2% in 2022. 

Also, Italy halved its coal power in the same period, while the United States and Germany reduced their coal power by around a third. Even coal-dependent Australia has reduced its share  of coal power from 64% in 2015 to 47% in 2022. Among advanced economies in the G20, Japan stands out as it has yet to reduce its share of coal power, which remains around a third of its electricity.  

The growth in wind and solar generation has been a key factor in the success of these  OECD countries in reducing coal power. The UK and Germany stand out with the highest  shares of wind power at 25% and 22% in 2022, while Australia and Japan top the G20 for  solar power share at 13% and 10% in 2022. 

Although the G20’s share of coal power has reduced since the Paris Agreement, the report found that the absolute generation of coal power has increased as countries turn to coal to meet rising demand. In 2015, G20 countries generated 8,565 TWh of coal-fired electricity, increasing by 11% to 9,475 TWh in 2022. This increase is being driven by five countries.

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Five G20 countries yet to peak coal emissions  

Just five G20 nations have seen coal increase in absolute terms since 2015. These are China  (+34%, +1374 TWh), India (+35%, +357 TWh), Indonesia (+52%, +65 TWh), Russia  (+31%, +47 TWh) and Türkiye (+50%, +37 TWh).

Among these, China and India have been able to reduce the percentage share of coal in that period, as they focus on scaling up wind and solar to meet rising demand. China generated 70% of its electricity from coal in 2015, reducing it to 61% in 2022. India achieved a smaller decline, from 76% of electricity from coal in 2015 to 74% in 2022. However,  Indonesia, Russia and Türkiye have all seen their share of coal power increase, the report added. There are signs that these countries are nearing ‘peak’ coal emissions, as clean  power is close to growing quickly enough to meet all growth in demand. In China,  wind and solar met 69% of the growth in electricity demand in 2022, while all  clean sources met 77%. Over half of the electricity demand rise in Asia (52%) was  met with clean electricity in the seven years from 2015 to 2022, double the 26%  achieved in the seven years before that. Peaking emissions is the first step, how  fast the phasedown of fossil fuels then happens will depend on actions taken by  governments to accelerate the deployment of wind and solar. 

Editorial Team

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