Wind and solar energy use hit a record high last year

Ramping up renewable energy is crucial to limiting carbon emissions and meeting our climate goals. And in 2021, the world reached a renewable energy milestone: Wind and solar power together accounted for a record one-tenth of global electricity use, reports a new analysis by energy think tank Ember.According to a report that looked at electricity-generation data for 75 countries, which represent 93% of the global power demand, all forms of nonfossil fuel clean energy—including wind, solar, hydropower, nuclear, and biofuels—accounted for a total of 38% of the world’s electricity generated in 2021. That share was higher than coal, which generated 36% of the world’s electricity.Such an increase in wind and solar, particularly, marks a stark growth over the last decade. In 2015, when the Paris Agreement was signed, wind and solar generated just 4.6% of global electricity. The…

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