In brief
Despite clean energy's growing share of global electricity hitting over 40% in 2024, carbon emissions also reached a record high as demand surged in response to extreme weather conditions. Solar energy emerged as a leading force, though its proportional growth has not outpaced rising fossil fuel reliance, particularly in rapidly developing nations.
In an insightful report released by Ember, it has been revealed that clean energy sources accounted for over 40% of global electricity generation in 2024, marking the highest percentage since the 1940s. Solar power is leading this charge, having doubled its output every three years since 2012. In fact, China alone contributed to over half of the global growth in solar energy, while India's capacity also saw a significant increase.However, despite this positive shift towards clean energy, carbon dioxide emissions have surged to unprecedented levels, driven primarily by heightened electricity demand in response to unusually high temperatures. This climate-related demand spike has resulted in the increased use of fossil fuel power plants. Phil Macdonald, Managing Director of Ember, emphasized the importance of recognizing the trend amid the chaos, signaling that while fossil fuel generation saw an uptick in 2024, a similar pattern is not expected in the coming years. The increasing demand for electricity, which grew 4% in 2024, was notably influenced by a rise in air conditioning use during a particularly hot year.The report also highlights that, despite a relatively smaller share (just under 7%) of the total electricity mix, solar power has established itself as a crucial element of the global energy transition. Wind energy contributes just over 8%, and hydropower, the largest clean energy source at 14%, is growing more slowly than its solar counterpart. Ember’s findings underline the pressing reality that even though renewable energy's proportion of total electricity generation has now reached 40.9%, greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, with global CO2 emissions hitting a staggering 14.6 billion tonnes. The expanding economies of Asia, particularly China and India, remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels to satisfy rapid energy demand, posing further challenges to climate goals.
