Even with coal, higher financing costs, and weaker access to funds, Asia has outpaced Europe and North America in fighting climate change by some key measures, according to a Reuters analysis.
Asia boosted clean power, including hydro and nuclear, as a share of overall power output by about 8% to 32% between 2015 and 2022, an energy think tank Ember says. By comparison, clean energy’s share in Europe rose by over 4% to 55%, and in North America by more than 6% to 46%.
Asia slashed the share of fossil fuels in power generation by 8% to 68% in 2022 from 2015, reducing more gas and coal use than Europe (4%) and North America (6%).
“The data shows that the West is not moving fast enough on scaling up renewables and storage,” said Hogeveen Rutter, who works with private companies on behalf of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Delays in approvals for renewables, storage projects, and grid interconnections in Europe and the US have hampered the growth of clean energy use in the West, according to Rutter.
Fast-growing Asia, home to half the world’s population, accounts for three-fifths of global emissions from power generation, including from sectors exporting goods and services to the West.
Power generation emissions by Asia will continue to climb, after having risen nearly 4% annually since the Paris Accord as electricity demand has soared, while emissions in Europe and North America declined, according to Ember data.
Asian governments keep arguing that the world’s wealthiest countries should help poorer countries cut emissions, citing rich nations’ higher per capita emissions and their continuing use of fossil fuel.
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