KEY FINDINGS OF THE RENEWABLES 2020 GLOBAL STATUS REPORT NUMBERS, FACTS AND TRENDS on renewables 2020 REN21 MEMBERS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS INTER-GOVERNMENTAL NGOS Africa Minigrid Developers Association ORGANISATIONS Association Africaine pour (AMDA) Asia Pacific Energy Research Centre l'Electrification Rurale (Club-ER) Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) (APERC) CLASP American Council on Renewable Asian Development Bank (ADB) Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) Energy (ACORE) ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Climate Action Network International Associação Portuguesa de Energias Energy and Energy Efficiency (CAN-I) Renováveis (APREN) (ECREEE) Energy Cities Association for Renewable Energy of European Commission (EC) Lusophone Countries (ALER) Fundación Energías Renovables (FER) Global Environment Facility (GEF) Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Global 100% Renewable Energy International Energy Agency (IEA) Association (CREIA) Global Forum on Sustainable Clean Energy Council (CEC) International Renewable Energy Energy (GFSE) Agency (IRENA) European Renewable Energies Global Women's Network for the Federation (EREF) Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Energy Transition (GWNET) Euroheat & Power (EHP) Regional Center for Renewable Greenpeace International Energy and Energy Efficiency Global Off-Grid Lighting Association ICLEI – Local Governments for (RCREEE) (GOGLA) Sustainability United Nations Development Global Solar Council (GSC) Institute for Sustainable Energy Programme (UNDP) Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) Policies (ISEP) United Nations Environment Indian Renewable Energy Federation International Electrotechnical Programme (UNEP) (IREF) Commission (IEC) United Nations Industrial International Geothermal Association Jeunes Volontaires pour Development Organization (UNIDO) (IGA) l'Environnement (JVE) World Bank (WB) International Hydropower Association Mali Folkecenter (MFC) (IHA) Power for All Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa (RES4Africa) Foundation Renewable Energy and Energy World Bioenergy Association (WBA) Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) World Wind Energy Association Renewable Energy Institute (REI) (WWEA) SLOCAT Partnership for Sustainable Low Carbon Transport Solar Cookers International (SCI) SCIENCE AND ACADEMIA GOVERNMENTS World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE) AEE – Institute for Sustainable Afghanistan Technologies (AEE INTEC) Brazil World Future Council (WFC) Council on Energy, Environment and Denmark World Resources Institute (WRI) Water (CEEW) Dominican Republic World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Fundación Bariloche (FB) International Institute for Applied Germany Systems Analysis (IIASA) India International Solar Energy Society Mexico MEMBERS AT LARGE (ISES) Norway Michael Eckhart National Renewable Energy Laboratory Republic of Korea Mohamed El-Ashry (NREL) South Africa National Research University Higher David Hales School of Economics, Russia (HSE) Spain Kirsty Hamilton South African National Energy United Arab Emirates Peter Rae Development Institute (SANEDI) United States of America The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Arthouros Zervos Rana Adib National Technical University of REN21 Athens (NTUA) 2 RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICY NETWORK FOR THE 21st CENTURY REN21 is the only global community of renewable energy actors from science, academia, governments, NGOs and industry. We provide up-to- date facts, figures and peer-reviewed analysis of global developments in technology, policies and markets to decision makers. Our goal: encourage and enable them to make the shift to renewable energy happen – now! The most successful organisms, such as an octopus, have a decentralised intelligence and "sensing" function. This increases responsiveness to a changing environment. REN21 incarnates this approach. Our more than 2,000 community members guide our co-operative work. They reflect the vast array of backgrounds and perspectives in society. As REN21’s eyes and ears, they collect information and share intelligence, by sending input and feedback. REN21 takes all this information to better understand the current thinking around renewables and change norms. We also use this information to connect and grow the energy debate with non-energy players. Our annual publication, the Renewables Global Status Report, is probably the world’s most comprehensive crowdsourced report on renewables. It is a truly collaborative process of co-authoring, data collection and peer reviewing. 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 01 GLOBAL OVERVIEW Renewables grew rapidly in the power sector, while far TFEC, only a slight increase from 9.6% in 2013. The highest fewer advances have occurred in heating and transport. share of renewable energy use (26.4%) was in electrical uses excluding heating, cooling and transport; however, these end- Renewable energy had another record-breaking year in 2019i, as uses accounted for only 17% of TFEC in 2017. Energy use for installed power capacity grew more than 200 gigawatts (GW) – transport represented some 32% of TFEC and had a low share its largest increase ever. Capacity installations and investment of renewables (3.3%), while the remaining thermal energy continued to spread to all corners of the world, and distributed uses accounted for more than half of TFEC, of which 10.1% renewable energy systems provided additional households in was supplied by renewables. Overall, the slow growth in the developing and emerging countries with access to electricity and renewable energy share indicated the complementary roles clean cooking services. Also during the year, the private sector of energy efficiency and renewables. signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for a record amount of renewable power capacity, driven mainly by ongoing cost Among the general public, support for renewable energy reductions in some technologies. continued to advance alongside rising awareness of the multiple benefits of renewables, including reduction of carbon dioxide Shares of renewables in electricity generation continued to rise (CO2) emissions. By year’s end 1,480 jurisdictions – spanning 28 around the world. In some countries, the share of renewables in countries and covering 820 million citizens – had issued “climate heating, cooling and transport also grew, although these sectors emergency” declarations. At the same time, while some countries continued to lag far behind due to insufficient policy support were phasing out coal, others continued to invest in new coal- and slow developments in new technologies. This resulted in fired power plants, both domestically and abroad. In addition, only a moderate increase in the overall share of renewables funding from private banks for fossil fuel projects has increased, in total final energy consumption (TFEC), despite significant totalling USD 2.7 trillion between 2016 and 2019. Although CO2 progress in the power sector. emissions remained stable in 2019, the world is not on track to As of 2018, modern renewable energy (excluding the limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius (°C), let traditional use of biomass) accounted for an estimated 11% of alone 1.5 °C, as stipulated in the Paris Agreement. i The Renewables 2020 Global Status Report focuses on developments in renewable energy in 2019, and therefore does not reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global energy systems. An overview of the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the renewable energy sector will be included in GSR 2021. Estimated Global Growth in Renewable Energy Compared to Total Final Energy Consumption, 2013-2018 TFEC (Exajoules) Despite growing faster 400 than other energy sources, +7.2 % renewables made up 350 378 353 +5.7% 337 less than 300 319 one-third 250 of demand growth. 200 150 TFEC 100 Fossil fuels, nuclear, traditional biomass 50 + 21.5% Modern renewables 34 41 0 2013 2018 Source: Based on IEA data. 4 Renewable Share of Total Final Energy Consumption, by Final Energy Use, 2017 Heating and cooling 51% Transport 32% Power 17% 10.1% 3.3% 26.4% Renewable energy Renewable energy Renewable energy Note: Data should not be compared with previous years because of Source: Based on IEA data. revisions due to improved or adjusted methodology. Renewable Energy Policies and Fossil Fuel Subsidies 143 countries 70 with RE countries with power RE transport policies policies Fossil fuel subsidies 23 countries with RE 400 heating and billion USD cooling policies in 2018i Countries with renewable energy regulatory policies i not including externalities 5 BUILDINGS TRANSPORT Renewables were the fastest growing energy source in Despite gains in energy efficiency and continued growth in buildings, yet this increase was limited by lack of policy both biofuels and electric vehicles (EVs), transport remains support. the sector with the lowest share of renewable energy. Renewable energy met less than 14% of total energy demand Although it accounts for around one-third of TFEC, transport in buildings in 2017. More than three-quarters of global final remained the sector with the lowest share of renewable energy, at energy demand in buildings was for heating and cooling only 3.3%. The vast majority of global transport energy needs were end-uses, which remain heavily fossil fuel-based. In 2018, met by oil and petroleum products, with small shares met by biofuels renewables contributed an estimated 10.1% of heating and and renewable electricity. Gains in energy efficiency and continued cooling demand in buildings; this share has barely risen from growth in both biofuels and EVs were largely offset by rising 8%