Fossil fuels remain king in energy shares, REN21 reports

While the market share for renewable energy has increased, fossil fuels continue to be the dominant source of energy in the world, according to REN21's 2021 Global Status Report.

Renewables grew by almost 5% between 2009 and 2019 but significant strides are still required if the world wants to be able to reach some of the ambitious climate goals laid out by initiatives such as the Paris Climate Agreement.

Read more: 1m deaths in 2017 attributed to fossil fuel air pollution, research suggests

The report states that fossil fuel burning has reached an all-time high with the share of traditional energy sources being as high as it was a decade ago.

The coronavirus pandemic caused fossil fuel consumption to decrease, but consumption habits returned to normal once global economies began to open up again. The report indicates five of the G20 "struggled" towards their goals, while the rest didn't have any clear goals in mind, the report found.

"Clearly, we need a structural shift," said REN21's executive director Rana Adib. "It's not just about deploying and installing renewables. It's also about conserving energy, integrating energy efficiency and leaving fossil fuels in the ground."

She added: "It's time to stop talking only about gigawatts of installed capacity. We must emphasise how renewables can support development, economic growth and a cleaner, healthier environment.

"If we are to achieve the energy transition, we need to integrate renewables across all economic sectors."

Regarding industry, the share of renewables still remains relatively small, accounting for only 14.8% of consumption and is relegated mainly to sectors that require low heat for its processes.

In heavy industries - iron, steel, cement and chemicals - renewable energy accounted for a less than 1% market share owing to the more ned for higher temperatures and fuel efficiency.

In many of these sectors, true decarbonisation may never be fully possible unless new, energy-efficient methods for consumption are created in the next decades. It is likely they will have to sequester excess carbon dioxide using carbon capture technologies in order to meet climate goals and minimise environmental impacts.

The introduction or continuation of carbon taxes may also go some way to encouraging these types of innovations.

Read more: Carbon price hits €50 high as EU sets climate goals

This will still require significant technological innovations going forward.

In its test report, the IEA claims much of the technology that will guide the green transition is still in the prototype of the concept phase, but is expected to become widely available in the near future.

Fossil fuels, alongside greenhouse gases, are one of the primary drivers of climate change.

The pollution that ensues from combustion can also wreak havoc on global biodiversity.

Even many of the processes by which these fuels are gathered - mining, fracking, air pollution through combustion - can have severe effects on both local and global climate.

The report indicates that much of the supposed investments many governments have offered into reducing the effects of climate change "are poured into the brown economy" - any economic policy which negatively affects the economy.

This includes net-zero carbon emissions targets by China, Japan, South Korea and several other regions, countries, cities and companies.

Read more: Making net-zero possible

The report claims these recovery packages provide as much as six times more investment into fossil fuels than renewable energy.

"One way to accelerate development is to define the uptake of renewable energy as a key performance indicator," Adib added. By measuring our performance,  we can close the gap between ambition and target."

"We need urgent action. We cannot afford to make any more commitments that do not produce action. This needs to happen now."

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