Clean energy is more than 40% of global electricity in 2024, the highest share since the 1940s, according to new data from the climate think tank Embers. BBC Report.
However, despite the surge in renewable energy, global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions also reached an all-time high of 14.6 billion tons.
The increase in emissions was driven by soaring global demand for electricity, up 4% last year. Hot weather, especially during heat waves, plays an important role in higher energy use.
“Solar energy has become an engine of the global energy transition,” said Phil MacDonald, managing director of Ember. “Hotter weather has increased fossil production in 2024, but we are unlikely to see a similar jump in 2025.”
Solar energy remains the source of electricity for 20 consecutive years, with production doubled every three years since 2012.
Despite the rapid increase, solar energy still accounts for 7% of global electricity, equivalent to powering India as a whole. Wind energy contributes just over 8%, and hydropower remains the largest clean source at 14%. Nuclear energy is about 9%.
However, renewable energy growth continues to lag behind rising energy demand, especially in fast-growing countries such as India and China. As a result, fossil fuel use is still climbing, with coal and natural gas accounting for 34% and 22% of global power generation, respectively, and overall fossil fuel usage increased by 1.4%.
The European Copernicus Climate Agency reported that March 2025 was the second Garwood march on record, continuing with unusually high temperatures.
Ember has long predicted CO2 emissions will peak soon, but this milestone has not yet been reached. The report highlights the challenge of transitioning to clean energy quickly enough to offset the growing global electricity demand.
