Global hunger for coal and natural gas was outpacing demand for renewable energy, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said yesterday in a report asking governments to ramp up incentives for clean power sources and cut subsidies for fossil fuels.
Coal, the dirtiest carbon-based fuel widely used for power generation, had met 47 percent of new electricity demand in the past decade and gas accounted for 33 percent, the IEA said. That compared with a 6.5 percent share for facilities that burnt waste or used renewable sources such as the wind and sun.
The recommendations were prepared ahead of yesterday’s meeting in Abu Dhabi of government energy leaders from major consuming countries. Legislators should phase out fossil fuel subsidies, promote biofuels and boost support for renewable energy, carbon capture and energy efficient buildings, the IEA said.
The share of power generated from renewable sources fell to 18.5 percent in 2008 from 19.5 percent in 1990, mainly due to a drop in new hydroelectric plants.
The two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi this week includes ministers from 20 countries and the EU, which account for 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. – Bloomberg