Wind, hydro, geothermal, solar thermal and ocean energy use needs to expand significantly faster in order to get on track. Solar PV is today the only renewable energy technology on track with the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario. Key policies announced in 2022, especially REPowerEU in the European Union, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the United States and China’s 14th Five-Year Plan for Renewable Energy, will lend further support to accelerate renewable electricity deployment in the coming years.
Recent progress has been promising, and 2022 was a record year for renewable electricity capacity additions, with annual capacity additions amounting to about 340 GW. Bioenergy is discussed separately, and this page is dedicated to other renewable technologies. Modern bioenergy is today the largest source of renewable energy globally, with a more than 50% share of global use in 2022. The deployment of renewables for electricity generation, for heat production for buildings and industry, and in transport is one of the main enablers of keeping average global temperature rise below 1.5☌. Renewables play a critical role in clean energy transitions.
