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01 GLOBAL OVERVIEW
by renewable energy and energy efficiency targets. 16 The
International Solar Alliance was launched by the presidents of
France and India to unite more than 120 sun-drenched countries
to accelerate solar energy deployment in order to enhance energy
security and sustainable development, improve access to energy
and advance living standards. 17 In parallel, precedent-setting,
ambitious commitments to renewable energy were made at the
regional, state and local levels in the lead-up to and during COP21
in Paris. 18 Heads of state of African nations launched the African
Renewable Energy Initiative with the goal of achieving by 2030 as
much as 300 gigawatts (GW) of renewable capacity (about twice
the continent’s total power capacity at end-2015). 19 The leaders
of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, a broad global coalition of 30
nations (middle-income and least-developed nations, and smallisland
developing states), called for 100% renewable energy by
2050 in the Manila-Paris Declaration. 20
The growing global movement for 100% renewables – driven
by the imperative of addressing climate change, and the pursuit
of local economic development and community-owned energy
– also gained momentum from the Paris City Hall Declaration,
which calls for 100% renewable energy or 80% reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Nearly 1,000 city mayors
from five continents signed the Declaration. q21 Cities around the
world have become important change makers in the renewable
energy and climate arena, acting independently and collectively
to share knowledge and achieve their goals. 22 (p See Policy
Landscape chapter.)
The private sector also strengthened its commitments to renewable
energy in 2015. 23 As of December, 2,025 companies had
publicly pledged to reduce their carbon emissions, many through
the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency; this group
includes 154 US companies, with nearly 11 million employees,
that have committed to purchasing 100% renewable energy. 24 By
year’s end, more than 50 of the world’s largest companies were
participating in RE100, a global business initiative in which companies
commit to getting 100% of their electricity from renewable
sources. 25 Many companies are moving beyond the motivation
of social responsibility to the view that renewables make good
business sense. 26
Although most of the initiatives announced in Paris and elsewhere
did not start to affect renewable energy markets in 2015, there
were already signs that a global energy transition is under way. 27
By some accounts, the annual growth in global carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions stalled during 2014 and 2015, even as the global
economy grew, due to industrial restructuring, improvements in
energy efficiency and increased global deployment of renewable
energy. 28 Further, per capita greenhouse gas emissions appear
to be falling in 11 of the G20 economies, marking a possible shift
in global trends. 29 Nonetheless, atmospheric concentrations of
greenhouse gases continue to rise, due largely to increasing use
of fossil fuels, and annual emissions are expected to continue
climbing for some time in the developing world. 30
As of 2014, renewable energy provided an estimated 19.2% of
global final energy consumption. Of this total share, traditional
biomass, used primarily for cooking and heating in remote and
rural areas of developing countries, accounted for about 8.9%, and
modern renewables (not including traditional biomass) increased
their share slightly over 2013 to approximately 10.3%. 31 (p See
Figure 1.) In 2014, hydropower accounted for an estimated 3.9% of
final energy consumption, other renewable power sources comprised
1.4%, renewable heat energy accounted for approximately
4.2% and transport biofuels provided about 0.8%. 32 Although the
use of renewable energy is rising rapidly, the share of renewables
Figure 1. Estimated Renewable Energy Share of Global Final Energy Consumption, 2014
Figure 1. Estimated Renewable Energy Share of Global Final Energy Consumption, 2014
Source:
See endnote 31
for this chapter.
Fossil fuels
78.3%
2.5%
Nuclear power
All renewables
19.2%
Modern renewables
10.3%
Traditional biomass
8.9%
Biomass/
geothermal/
solar heat
4.2%
Hydropower
3.9%
1.4% 0.8%
Wind/solar/
biomass/
geothermal
power
Biofuels
28