Electricity Greener But Air is Still Murkier
In 2024, clean electricity reached a record 40% globally, driven by solar and wind — but carbon emissions also hit an all-time high. A witty look at the paradox of progress in the age of air conditioning, from sunshine highs to climate lows.
By Jove, we’ve cracked it! Well, almost. In 2024, more than 40% of the world’s electricity came from sources that didn’t involve setting fire to lumps of coal or fiddling about with gas pipes. One might be tempted to pop open the bubbly and shout “job’s a good’un!” — but hold your horses, because while the electricity may be greener, the air’s still murkier than a Darjeeling fog during rains.
According to a new report from the rather brainy bods over at Ember, a global energy think tank (you know, the sort who actually enjoy spreadsheets), solar power has been having a right good go of it — doubling its output in just three years and now hailed as the “engine of the global energy transition.” Very dramatic. One imagines Phil Macdonald, Ember’s managing director, delivering this pronouncement while standing atop a wind turbine in a superhero cape, sun gleaming behind him.
And yet, in the immortal words of every Bengali parent inspecting their child’s exam results: “This is good, but could do better.”
The Great Clean Energy Conundrum
You see, while we’ve managed to pump out record levels of electricity without setting fire to the planet, we’ve also managed to – wait for it – pump out record levels of carbon dioxide. Yes, CO₂ emissions reached an all-time high of 14.6 billion tonnes in 2024. That’s not a typo. Billion, with a B.
How, you ask, have we simultaneously gone green and yet gassed up the globe? The answer, dear reader, is: air conditioning. Yes, that marvellous contraption that keeps your backside from welding to your leather sofa in a heatwave is to blame. Turns out, 2024 was a scorcher, and the demand for power went through the roof, dragging fossil fuel usage along with it like an overenthusiastic toddler at a toy shop.
So, while solar and wind did their bit — bless their breezy little hearts — they couldn’t quite keep up with the global urge to chill. Literally.
A Ray of Hope (and Sunshine)
Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. Solar energy is sprinting ahead like it’s late for tea. It’s now the fastest-growing energy source for the twentieth year in a row. Yes, you read that right. Solar has been topping the charts longer than Strictly Come Dancing. China is leading the pack (again), with India hot on its heels, having doubled its solar capacity in just one year.
But before we all get carried away installing solar panels on the doghouse, a word of caution: solar still makes up just under 7% of the global electricity mix — roughly enough to power all of India, which is impressive, but let’s not get too smug.
Wind power is slightly ahead at just over 8%, while hydropower (the old faithful) still leads the clean pack with 14%. Nuclear’s plodding along at 9%, but let’s be honest, it’s not exactly the belle of the eco-ball these days.
Déjà Vu All Over Again
Interestingly, this whole “more than 40% clean energy” milestone hasn’t been seen since the 1940s — a simpler time, when people were more worried about rationing tea than rising sea levels. Back then, hydroelectric power was the star of the show, and global electricity demand was about as demanding as a cat on a Sunday afternoon.
Now, of course, the picture is slightly less quaint. We’re using more electricity than ever, and that hunger isn’t going away any time soon — especially with economic juggernauts like India and China still reliant on fossil fuels to keep their lights (and aircon) on.
What’s the Takeaway?
In short: we’re heading in the right direction, but we’ve brought a few bad habits along for the ride. Think of it like switching to oat milk but still eating five sausage rolls a day — you’re technically doing something green, but the waistband doesn’t lie.
Phil Macdonald of Ember reckons the spike in fossil fuel use in 2024 was a one-off thanks to extreme heat. Let’s hope he’s right — otherwise, we’re in for a rather toasty future, and not the sort you enjoy with Marmite.
Still, there’s room for cautious optimism. The clean energy revolution is real, it’s growing, and if we can keep our cool (literally and figuratively), there’s hope that emissions may finally start to fall — and not just when we trip over the extension cord.
So here’s to solar panels, breezy ambitions, and perhaps, one day, a planet that doesn’t feel like it’s parked too close to the Sun.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go fan myself with last month’s energy bill.
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