Renewable energy is a vital component of the global effort to reduce carbon emissions, mitigate climate change, and ensure a sustainable future for the planet. The use of renewable energy has been growing rapidly in recent years, driven by falling costs, technological advances, and increasing awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of clean energy sources. In the United Kingdom, the government has set ambitious targets to increase the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix, and significant progress has been made in recent years. In this article, we will explore how much renewable energy the world uses, with a specific focus on the United Kingdom.
Global Renewable Energy Use
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable energy accounted for 26.2% of global electricity generation in 2018, up from 21.2% in 2013. The majority of this renewable energy comes from hydropower, followed by wind and solar power. Bioenergy and geothermal energy also contribute to the global renewable energy mix.
In terms of total energy consumption, renewables still have a relatively small share, accounting for only 12.9% in 2018. However, this is expected to increase in the coming years as more countries adopt ambitious renewable energy targets and policies. The IEA’s Sustainable Development Scenario, which outlines a pathway to limit global warming to well below 2°C, calls for renewables to account for 86% of global electricity generation by 2050.
Renewable Energy in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, renewable energy has been growing rapidly in recent years, driven by supportive government policies and falling costs. According to the UK government’s latest energy statistics, renewable energy accounted for a record 33% of electricity generation in the country in 2018, up from 5.8% in 2008. Wind power is the largest source of renewable energy in the UK, followed by solar and bioenergy.
The UK government has set ambitious targets to increase the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix. The Climate Change Act 2008 set a legally binding target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050, and the government has a target to generate 30% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020. The UK has also committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, which will require a significant increase in renewable energy deployment.
In addition to these targets, the UK government has implemented a range of policies to support the deployment of renewable energy, including feed-in tariffs, renewable heat incentives, and contracts for difference. These policies have helped to drive down the cost of renewable energy and make it more competitive with fossil fuels.
Conclusion
Renewable energy is playing an increasingly important role in the global energy mix, and the trend is set to continue in the coming years. While hydropower remains the largest source of renewable energy, wind and solar power are growing rapidly and are expected to account for an increasing share of the global renewable energy mix in the coming years.
In the United Kingdom, renewable energy has made significant progress in recent years, driven by supportive government policies and falling costs. Wind power is the largest source of renewable energy in the UK, followed by solar and bioenergy. The UK government has set ambitious targets to increase the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix, and significant progress has been made in recent years. With continued support from the government and ongoing technological advances, the future looks bright for renewable energy in the United Kingdom and around the world.
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