SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
2015 Saw Renewable Energy Boom, Led by Developing Nations
'What is truly remarkable about these results is that they were achieved at a time when fossil fuel prices were at historic lows.'
Jun 01, 2016
Renewable energy boomed in 2015, a year that saw fossil fuel prices plummet and ended with a historic climate agreement hammered out in Paris.
In fact, investments in renewables such as wind and solar were more than double the amount spent on new coal and gas-fired power plants in 2015, according to the Renewables Global Status Report (pdf) from REN21, an international non-profit association based at the United Nations Environment Programme in Paris, France.
An estimated 147 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity was added in 2015--the largest annual increase ever--while renewable heat capacity and biofuels production also increased. Indeed, the world now adds more renewable power capacity annually than it adds (net) capacity from all fossil fuels combined, the report states. Furthermore, employment in the renewable energy sector rose in 2015 to an estimated 8.1 million direct and indirect jobs.
"What is truly remarkable about these results is that they were achieved at a time when fossil fuel prices were at historic lows, and renewables remained at a significant disadvantage in terms of government subsidies," said REN21 executive secretary Christine Lins. "For every dollar spent boosting renewables, nearly four dollars were spent to maintain our dependence on fossil fuels."
Strikingly, last year marked the first time that developing nations invested more in renewable energy than richer countries did--$156 billion in 2015, a 19 percent increase on the year before, and more than all richer nations combined.
"Countries are opting for renewables because they are not only the most environmentally sound, but also the cheapest option," Lins said. "It's a clear signal of its economic viability."
Bloomberg notes that Europe, on the other hand, "is losing its status as a global leader in clean energy, with investment in the region plummeting 21 percent last year." Renewable energy investment in developed countries as a group declined by 8 percent in 2015.
But in the United States, renewable energy investment increased by 19 percent to $44.1 billion, the country's largest increase in dollar terms since 2011.
Developing countries are also leading the way on small-scale power generation, the report reveals.
"Globally, renewable electricity production in 2015 continued to be dominated by large (e.g., megawatt-scale and up) generators that are owned by utilities or large investors," according to REN21.
However, the assessment points out:
At the same time, there are markets where distributed, small-scale generation has taken off, or is starting to do so. Bangladesh is the world's largest market for solar home systems, and other developing countries (e.g., Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in Africa; China, India and Nepal in Asia; Brazil and Guyana in Latin America) are seeing rapid expansion of small-scale renewable systems, including renewables-based mini-grids, to provide electricity for people living far from the grid. Developed countries and regions--including Australia, Europe, Japan and North America--have seen significant growth in numbers of residential and industrial electricity customers who produce their own power.
Responding to the report, Friends of the Earth UK campaigner Andrew Pendleton told The Independent: "It should be a source of deep shame that Britain is being outspent by many other industrialized and developing nations in renewables when, as a windy island, we have a clear competitive advantage.
"If Britain," he continued, "with our almost unrivalled natural resources, isn't the right place to invest in renewables then where is? If now is not the right time, when will be? Governments have to create the right investment climate and it's clear that currently ours isn't."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Renewable energy boomed in 2015, a year that saw fossil fuel prices plummet and ended with a historic climate agreement hammered out in Paris.
In fact, investments in renewables such as wind and solar were more than double the amount spent on new coal and gas-fired power plants in 2015, according to the Renewables Global Status Report (pdf) from REN21, an international non-profit association based at the United Nations Environment Programme in Paris, France.
An estimated 147 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity was added in 2015--the largest annual increase ever--while renewable heat capacity and biofuels production also increased. Indeed, the world now adds more renewable power capacity annually than it adds (net) capacity from all fossil fuels combined, the report states. Furthermore, employment in the renewable energy sector rose in 2015 to an estimated 8.1 million direct and indirect jobs.
"What is truly remarkable about these results is that they were achieved at a time when fossil fuel prices were at historic lows, and renewables remained at a significant disadvantage in terms of government subsidies," said REN21 executive secretary Christine Lins. "For every dollar spent boosting renewables, nearly four dollars were spent to maintain our dependence on fossil fuels."
Strikingly, last year marked the first time that developing nations invested more in renewable energy than richer countries did--$156 billion in 2015, a 19 percent increase on the year before, and more than all richer nations combined.
"Countries are opting for renewables because they are not only the most environmentally sound, but also the cheapest option," Lins said. "It's a clear signal of its economic viability."
Bloomberg notes that Europe, on the other hand, "is losing its status as a global leader in clean energy, with investment in the region plummeting 21 percent last year." Renewable energy investment in developed countries as a group declined by 8 percent in 2015.
But in the United States, renewable energy investment increased by 19 percent to $44.1 billion, the country's largest increase in dollar terms since 2011.
Developing countries are also leading the way on small-scale power generation, the report reveals.
"Globally, renewable electricity production in 2015 continued to be dominated by large (e.g., megawatt-scale and up) generators that are owned by utilities or large investors," according to REN21.
However, the assessment points out:
At the same time, there are markets where distributed, small-scale generation has taken off, or is starting to do so. Bangladesh is the world's largest market for solar home systems, and other developing countries (e.g., Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in Africa; China, India and Nepal in Asia; Brazil and Guyana in Latin America) are seeing rapid expansion of small-scale renewable systems, including renewables-based mini-grids, to provide electricity for people living far from the grid. Developed countries and regions--including Australia, Europe, Japan and North America--have seen significant growth in numbers of residential and industrial electricity customers who produce their own power.
Responding to the report, Friends of the Earth UK campaigner Andrew Pendleton told The Independent: "It should be a source of deep shame that Britain is being outspent by many other industrialized and developing nations in renewables when, as a windy island, we have a clear competitive advantage.
"If Britain," he continued, "with our almost unrivalled natural resources, isn't the right place to invest in renewables then where is? If now is not the right time, when will be? Governments have to create the right investment climate and it's clear that currently ours isn't."
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Renewable energy boomed in 2015, a year that saw fossil fuel prices plummet and ended with a historic climate agreement hammered out in Paris.
In fact, investments in renewables such as wind and solar were more than double the amount spent on new coal and gas-fired power plants in 2015, according to the Renewables Global Status Report (pdf) from REN21, an international non-profit association based at the United Nations Environment Programme in Paris, France.
An estimated 147 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity was added in 2015--the largest annual increase ever--while renewable heat capacity and biofuels production also increased. Indeed, the world now adds more renewable power capacity annually than it adds (net) capacity from all fossil fuels combined, the report states. Furthermore, employment in the renewable energy sector rose in 2015 to an estimated 8.1 million direct and indirect jobs.
"What is truly remarkable about these results is that they were achieved at a time when fossil fuel prices were at historic lows, and renewables remained at a significant disadvantage in terms of government subsidies," said REN21 executive secretary Christine Lins. "For every dollar spent boosting renewables, nearly four dollars were spent to maintain our dependence on fossil fuels."
Strikingly, last year marked the first time that developing nations invested more in renewable energy than richer countries did--$156 billion in 2015, a 19 percent increase on the year before, and more than all richer nations combined.
"Countries are opting for renewables because they are not only the most environmentally sound, but also the cheapest option," Lins said. "It's a clear signal of its economic viability."
Bloomberg notes that Europe, on the other hand, "is losing its status as a global leader in clean energy, with investment in the region plummeting 21 percent last year." Renewable energy investment in developed countries as a group declined by 8 percent in 2015.
But in the United States, renewable energy investment increased by 19 percent to $44.1 billion, the country's largest increase in dollar terms since 2011.
Developing countries are also leading the way on small-scale power generation, the report reveals.
"Globally, renewable electricity production in 2015 continued to be dominated by large (e.g., megawatt-scale and up) generators that are owned by utilities or large investors," according to REN21.
However, the assessment points out:
At the same time, there are markets where distributed, small-scale generation has taken off, or is starting to do so. Bangladesh is the world's largest market for solar home systems, and other developing countries (e.g., Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in Africa; China, India and Nepal in Asia; Brazil and Guyana in Latin America) are seeing rapid expansion of small-scale renewable systems, including renewables-based mini-grids, to provide electricity for people living far from the grid. Developed countries and regions--including Australia, Europe, Japan and North America--have seen significant growth in numbers of residential and industrial electricity customers who produce their own power.
Responding to the report, Friends of the Earth UK campaigner Andrew Pendleton told The Independent: "It should be a source of deep shame that Britain is being outspent by many other industrialized and developing nations in renewables when, as a windy island, we have a clear competitive advantage.
"If Britain," he continued, "with our almost unrivalled natural resources, isn't the right place to invest in renewables then where is? If now is not the right time, when will be? Governments have to create the right investment climate and it's clear that currently ours isn't."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.