Thread by @EmberClimate

BREAKING | #Wind & #Solar hit a record TENTH of global electricity in 2021.

But the global electricity transition needs to sustain high growth rates to replace coal & reduce emissions.

⚡️10 Tweet Thread of the Global Power Sector in 2021

[1/10] #GER22
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We analysed annual power generation data for 209 countries from 2000 to 2020, with 2021 data included for 75 countries representing 93% of global power demand.

What did we find? #Wind and #solar took off!

[2/10] #GER22
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50 countries have now crossed the 10% #wind and #solar landmark, with 7 new countries in 2021 hitting the milestone for the first time: 🇨🇳🇯🇵🇲🇳🇻🇳🇦🇷🇭🇺🇸🇻

[3/10] #GER22
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3 countries switched over 8% of their total electricity demand to #wind and #solar, which directly replaced #fossilfuels.

Wind & solar:
🇳🇱 - ⬆️ 11% in 2 years
🇦🇺 - ⬆️ 9%
🇻🇳 - ⬆️ 8%

Fossil fuels:
🇳🇱 - ⬇️ 15%
🇦🇺 - ⬇️ 9%
🇻🇳 - ⬇️ 10%

[4/10] #GER22
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Viet Nam saw astonishing growth in #solar as it increased generation by 337% (+17 TWh) in a year, to become the world’s 10th largest solar generator.

Even as demand grew, Viet Nam reduced its #fossilfuel share & drove emissions down by 6%.

[5/10] #GER22
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However, we also found that electricity demand rebounded, leading to a record rise in #CO2 and #coal.

Coal power rose 9% in 2021 to 10,042 TWh, the biggest percentage rise on record since at least 1985.

[6/10] #GER22
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All-time #coal power records were set in China and India in 2021, and also in other Asian countries: 🇰🇿🇲🇳🇵🇰🇵🇭🇮🇩

[7/10] #GER22
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Record rise in #coal + modest rise in #gas means power sector emissions rose by 7% (778 million tonnes) in 2021, the largest absolute rise ever.

To reach @IEA 1.5 degrees pathway, power sector emissions need to fall 60% from 2021 to 2030.

[8/10] #GER22
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Leaders in #wind and #solar show that huge growth is realistic and can happen relatively quickly.

But shifts aren’t happening fast enough across all countries. Wind and solar need to sustain high growth rates for 1.5 degrees.

[9/10] #GER22
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To be on a pathway that keeps global heating to 1.5 degrees, #wind and #solar needs to sustain high growth rates of 20% every year to 2030.

[10/10] Full report: Global Electricity Review #GER22
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