Climate change: Growth in renewable energy production
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Wind and solar farms pushed renewable energy production up last year
A new report shows 30% of the electricity we're using across the world now comes from renewable energy, meaning it's produced from sources like wind and solar farms.
These figures are for 2023 and it's a record high amount of global electricity being produced through renewables, according to the report from energy analyst Ember's Global Electricity Review.
The new record comes as many countries are trying to plans to try and cut the amount of fossil fuels they use, so that's things like coal, gas and oil.
This move would be a "turning point" for planet-friendly energy, and help in the fight against climate change.
Solar panel farms, like this one in Poland, are boosting the amount of renewable energy we're producing
Renewable energy is made from resources that nature will replace, like wind, water and sunshine.
It's also called "clean energy" or "green power" because it doesn't pollute the air or the water.
Non-renewable energy includes coal, gas and oil, also known as fossil fuels or hydrocarbons.
Most cars, trains and planes use non-renewable energy. They are made by burning fossil fuels to create energy.
Offshore wind turbines, like this one in Spain, are helping towards the increase in renewables
What did the energy report say?
The report suggests the global burning of fossil fuels in the power sector probably peaked in 2023 and will start to fall this year, along with the pollution and emissions they bring.
Solar and wind energy have grown faster than expected, increasing from just 0.2% of global power in 2000 to 13.4% in 2023.
Christiana Figueres, former United Nations climate chief, said "outdated" fossil fuels now can't compete with renewable energy.
"All of humanity and the planet upon which we depend will be better off for it," she added.
At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai last year world leaders pledged to triple renewable power capacity by 2030.
However, scientists have warned that emissions are not falling fast enough to limit global warming to agreed safer levels.
Wind and solar farms pushed renewable energy production up last year
Why is this important for the environment?
Global warming is the rise in temperature of the earth's atmosphere, and one of the causes is burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
But if less of these are being used, then fewer gases would be released during energy production.
Electricity is the single biggest contributor to global warming, responsible for over a third of energy-related carbon emissions in 2021.
When you stop adding more fossil fuels to generate your electricity, you start seeing a fall in emissions.
Phasing out coal, oil and gas in this sector is seen as important in helping the world avoid dangerous levels of climate change.
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