World passes 30% renewable electricity milestone

The Global Electricity Review provides the first comprehensive overview of the global power system in 2023 based on country-level data. It is published today alongside the world’s first open dataset on electricity generation in 2023 covering 80 countries representing 92% of global electricity demand, as well as historic data for 215 countries.

“The renewables future has arrived,” said Dave Jones, Ember’s director of global insights. “Solar in particular is accelerating faster than anyone thought possible.” 

Solar was the main supplier of electricity growth, adding more than twice as much new electricity generation as coal in 2023. Solar maintained its status as the fastest-growing electricity source for the nineteenth consecutive year, and surpassed wind to become the largest source of new electricity for the second year running.

Renewable generation growth could have been even higher in 2023, but hydropower generation reached a five-year low amid droughts in China and other parts of the world. 

Under normal conditions, the clean capacity added during 2023 would have been enough to enable a 1.1% fall in fossil generation. 

However, the shortfall in hydropower was met by an increase in coal generation, which led to a 1% increase in global power sector emissions. 95% of the coal generation rise in 2023 occurred in four countries that were severely affected by droughts: China, India, Viet Nam and Mexico.

Nonetheless, the report shows that expected clean electricity growth gives confidence that a new era of declining power sector emissions is about to begin, with a projected 2% decrease in global fossil generation in 2024.

Already clean electricity has helped to slow the growth in fossil fuels by almost two-thirds in the last ten years. As a result, half the world’s economies are at least five years past a peak in fossil power. 

“The decline of power sector emissions is now inevitable,” continued Jones. “2023 was likely the pivot point – peak emissions in the power sector – a major turning point in the history of energy. But the pace of emissions falls depends on how fast the renewables revolution continues.”

At the UN’s COP28 climate change conference in December, world leaders reached a historic agreement to triple global renewables capacity by 2030. The target would see the world reach 60% renewable electricity by 2030, which would almost halve power sector emissions and put the world on a pathway aligned with the 1.5C climate goal.

“We already know the key enablers that help countries unleash the full potential of solar and wind,” continued Jones. “There’s an unprecedented opportunity for countries that choose to be at the forefront of the clean energy future.”

The report underscores how key enablers – high-level policy ambition, incentive mechanisms and flexibility solutions – are driving rapid growth in solar and wind, particularly in countries such as China, Brazil and the Netherlands.

“Expanding clean electricity not only helps to decarbonise the power sector,” said Jones. “It also provides the step up in supply needed to electrify the economy; and that’s the real game-changer for the climate.”

Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of UNFCCC and Founding Partner of Global Optimism, said: “The fossil fuel era has reached its necessary and inevitable expiration date as these findings show so clearly. This is a critical turning point: Last century’s outdated technologies can no longer compete with the exponential innovations and declining cost curves in renewable energy and storage. All of humanity and the planet upon which we depend will be better off for it.”

Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance, said: “Ember’s Global Electricity Review clearly shows that the renewable energy era has arrived, ushering in a decline in fossil fuel generation and power sector emissions. However, the current 30% renewables share would increase dramatically by 2030 if countries deliver on their commitment to triple global renewable capacity. Long term planning, combined with urgent actions on financing, permitting, grids and supply chains will deliver access to secure, clean and affordable energy and green jobs for millions of people. On top of that, billions of dollars in public and private capital would be unlocked, reducing loss and damage for nature and people wrought by harmful climate change.”

Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council, said: “It doesn’t come as a surprise to me that solar continues to deliver – we know that industry is on track to provide half the capacity needed to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030. And this is just business-as-usual. Imagine what solar can deliver if the right enablers are in place in more countries across the world, especially in emerging markets.”

Dr Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor at Our World in Data, said: “The main headline from Ember’s 2023 review is that the world sees a bright future for solar power. It is consistently breaking records and maintains its position as the fastest-growing power source in history. This is not only driven by the need to move to clean energy, but by its exciting economics as prices continue to fall. There are early signs that a peak in power sector emissions is imminent. Faster growth in low-carbon energy will be needed to drive down emissions quickly, especially as countries electrify transport, heating and industry.”

Kingsmill Bond, energy strategist at the Rocky Mountain Institute, said: “Ember has uncovered the key turning point in the energy transition. 2023 was the moment when fossil fuel demand peaked in electricity, which is the largest area of demand and the pivot of the energy transition. The tide has turned, and structural change will increasingly overwhelm cyclical noise.”