Despite the continued wave of renewable energy targets and new climate commitments, a new report suggests fossil fuels still dominate the global energy mix.
The energy mix
The Renewables Global Status report by REN21 suggests that the share of fossil fuels in the total energy mix is just as high as a decade ago. Estimating that fossil fuels had an 80.3% share in the global energy mix in 2009, compared to 80.2% in 2019. With the report suggesting that renewables such as solar and wind make up just 11.2% of the energy mix in 2019, compared to 8.7% in 2009.
Renewable energy targets
The analysis also notes that by 2020, 15 countries of the G20 group did not even have a renewable energy target that covered all sectors including power, transport, heating, cooling and industry.
It also shows that five G20 countries with renewable energy targets for total final energy consumption barely met their goals last year despite a ‘historic decline’ in energy consumption. With Italy, Germany and the European block reaching their targets whilst France and the UK came a little behind their goals.
Government action needed
The REN21 report highlights the need for governments to encourage more renewable development to decarbonise all sectors.
Rana Adib, REN21’s Executive Director, said: “We are waking up to the bitter reality that the climate policy promises over the past ten years have mostly been empty words. The share of fossil fuels in final energy consumption has not moved by an inch."
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