the top 5 countries

TOP FIVE

THESE COUNTRIES ARE LEADING THE WAY IN RENEWABLE ENERGY.

By: Zakiyah Ebrahim

In 2011, the WWF lead a team of scientists, organisations and experts who proposed a vision of 100% renewable energy by 2050. Renewable energy exists freely so will not run out, is cost-effective and is environmentally friendly (it hardly produces toxic pollution or global warming emissions). Because of these points, it makes sense for us to invest in, and transition to, a sustainable energy landscape.

According to the World Economic Forum, switching to this form of energy globally could eliminate 4–7 million deaths from air pollution annually. This is because nine out of ten people breathe polluted air, data from the World Health Organization indicates, which can lead to heart conditions and lifethreatening diseases.

Although it comes with its fair share of challenges such as high set-up and equipment costs (which makes the 2050 target rather ambitious), WeForum also explains that, based on several reports, the technology does exist for us to transition to a fully sustainable energy system by 2050, and if governments around the world act on these goals, it is highly possible to achieve them.

While there have been movements in this direction worldwide, we take a look at the top five countries leading the way (in no particular order).

1. Germany

Germany has invested in wind and solar energy. According to the BBC, the central European country now has four of the 10 largest solar parks in the world. Around 17% of its electricity is generated from renewable sources and 23% from nuclear power. The country is also looking to build more offshore wind farms.

2. China

China is currently one of the world’s largest producers of wind and solar energy. Their commitment to supporting the development of renewable energy has led them to step up their efforts and build the most power plants of any country in the world, reported Forbes in a 2020 article. In fact, estimates suggest that the country may be able to reliably run its grids on just over 60% non-fossil electricity generation by 2030.

3. The United Kingdom

Reporting by the Guardian in 2019 indicated that renewable electricity was fast overtaking fossil fuels in the UK and in 2020, it officially outpaced its fossil fuel generation. Wind, sunlight, water and wood are currently the UK’s strongest sources of renewable energy – it made up 42% of the island nation’s electricity in 2020.

4. Sweden

Another country making strides in the energy transition is Sweden. Hydropower and bioenergy are the top renewable sources in the country, with the former being used mainly for electricity production and the latter for heating (both in private homes and in district heating). Currently, there are over 3 500 wind turbines in Sweden according to an article on Sweden.se.

What about Africa?

A 2021 study published on Nature Energy revealed that fossil fuels are set to remain the dominant source of electricity across the African continent over the next decade. The authors also said that our continent risks being locked into high carbon energy for decades. On the bright side, of the predicted solar energy usage in Africa by 2030, nearly 40% will be in South Africa alone.

5. Spain

Spain has made a major effort to fulfill its renewable energy commitments for 2020. National Geographic reported that the country’s power plants are setting the standard for sustainability. In 2018, the Southwestern European country announced an ambitious environmental policy that would see the country eliminate its dependence on fossil fuels and instead generate 75% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. This target is set to rise to 100% by 2050.

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