The Weekly Anthropocene, April 19 2023
A tipping point for renewables worldwide, a huge boost for EVs in America, two new malaria vaccines saving lives in Africa, and more!
Clean Energy Worldwide
A landmark new report from energy think tank Ember finds that the world is on the verge of a historic tipping point towards renewable energy. Some key points:
Electricity today is the cleanest in history. Wind and solar power provided 12% of electricity globally in 2022, up from 10% in 2021 and less than 1% in 2010.
Wind and solar growth is rapid and accelerating, already dominant in plans for the future of electricity around the world. Wind and solar met 80% of global demand growth (all new electricity production being added to the grid) in 2022, and are likely to exceed global demand growth in 2023.
Thanks to this progress, 2022 may have seen the “peak” of greenhouse gas emissions from the global electricity sector. Ember forecasts that 2023 will see an 0.3% fall in fossil fuel generation, with bigger and bigger declines in coming years as wind and solar continue to grow!
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