India’s continued and high dependence on coal for power is to blame. Brazil, which will take over G20 presidency from India next year, is in first place in the think tank Ember’s fourth annual Global Electricity Review.
According to a report released by the international energy think tank Ember on May 15, Brazil leads the G20 nations in the proportion of clean electricity, while India lags behind at the ninth spot due to its heavy reliance on coal for power (74% of India’s energy comes from coal).
Globally, wind and solar energy contributed to a record 12% of global electricity in 2022. However, despite a decrease in coal power within G20 countries since the 2015 Paris Agreement, the transition to clean energy is not happening quickly enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
As part of the Paris Agreement, nations are required to reduce carbon emissions and transition to clean energy sources like wind and solar. Brazil generated 89% of its electricity from clean sources in 2022, mainly hydropower. In contrast, India, which assumed the G20 presidency last year, still relies predominantly on coal for electricity generation (77%) but is working to achieve 50% cumulative electric capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
While some G20 nations have made significant progress in reducing coal power, more effort is needed to accelerate the transition to clean energy. Ember suggests that the rapid expansion of proven technologies like wind and solar is the most cost-effective and efficient way to achieve this shift.
However, it’s important to note that even renewable energy sources like solar, hydro, and wind have their own social and environmental consequences, and efforts must be made to mitigate these issues. Ember sees the current decade as the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel age, with clean power set to take center stage if governments, businesses, and citizens take proactive steps towards a cleaner energy future by 2040.
Source: Ember, May 2023
