The clean energy transition is well underway and continuing to gather more momentum each year as more wind, solar, wave, geothermal and tidal energy is installed.
WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE A LOOK
Climate change news can sometimes seem like a laundry list of bad news. This report from Clean Energy Canada, "Tracking the Energy Revolution" lists all the awesome things that companies, countries, provinces and people are doing to take advantage of the renewable energy reality.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The clean energy transition is growing in leaps and bounds, with $207billion globally invested in clean energy in 2013. Renewable energy investment is growing through crowdfinancing and leasing, green bonds and divestment from fossil fuels.
Six countries introduced clean energy targets in 2013, while 12 strengthened existing targets.
Installed renewable energy capacity keeps growing, with a quarter of new U.S. power generation coming from solar in 2013, wind capacity contributing to more than half the increase in renewable energy capacity in Canada, and 3.1million Australians living or working with rooftop solar.
60% of Fortune 100 firms now have goals for renewable energy sourcing and/or GHG reductions.
More than 25 jurisdictions around the world now price carbon pollution, including six Chinese provinces, Japan, and Mexico.
131 jurisdictions have renewable portfolio standards, feed in tariffs and other policies to incentivise wind, solar, hydro and other clean energy.
Renewable energy now employs 6.5million people worldwide.
60% of Chinese infrastructure spending is currently in high-speed rail, with a network larger than Europe’s train network planned for the country.
China currently leads the world in wind power installations and solar power installations. China has installed more wind capacity since 2007 than Germany or the U.S. have installed in the last 30years.
EVs are increasingly affordable with cheaper batteries, more plug-in infrastructure, fast charging stations and battery life to meet the needs of 95% of motorists. They’re also becoming super-cool status objects.
Centralised electrical grids are on the way out, with smart grids and micro-grids being the new norm.
The price of solar panels has dropped 83% in the past five years, from $4/watt in 2008 to 69cents/watt in 2013.
Canada has seen strong growth in the clean energy industry, but there is more work needed.
image via (cc) Clean Energy Canada report
