Brazil tops G-20 country ranking in power sector decarbonisation

Brazil, which will host the G-20 next year has the highest share of clean electricity in the G-20. However, India, the current host, is behind in decarbonising its electricity system. It has the second highest coal reliance, after South Africa, but is already getting 9 per cent of its electricity from solar and wind.

On the other hand, Brazil generated 89 per cent of its electricity from clean sources, which includes 63 per cent hydro, 12 per cent wind power and 3 per cent solar power. Fossil fuels accounted for 11 per cent of Brazil’s generation in 2022, the majority of which was gas (7 per cent).

Wind and solar have reduced the share of coal power in G-20 countries since the Paris Agreement, according to an analysis of data from the fourth annual Global Electricity Review published by energy think tank Ember. However, the transformation is not yet happening fast enough for a pathway aligned with 1.5C, although there are positive signs.

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“Brazil is way ahead of India in securing a clean electricity system,” said Dave Jones, Ember’s Head of Data Insights. “G-20 hosts can both learn from each others’ successes. India is stepping up as a solar king, with generation growing by 45 times in the last decade to reach 5 per cent of its power in 2022. Brazil had a headstart with a strong base in hydroelectric power, but they haven’t rested on their laurels, with a truly impressive growth in wind power, which has grown by 16 times in the last decade and reached 12 per cent of its power in 2022.”

The data reveals that in G-20 countries, wind and solar reached a combined share of 13 per cent of electricity in 2022, up from 5 per cent in 2015. In this period, the share of wind power doubled and the share of solar power quadrupled. As a result, coal power fell from 43 per cent of G-20 electricity in 2015 to 39 per cent in 2022. Shares of other sources of
electricity remained broadly stable, with fluctuations of just 1-2 percentage points.

Across the G-20, progress towards wind and solar power is mixed. The leaders are Germany (32 per cent), the UK (29 per cent), and Australia (25 per cent). Turkey, Brazil, the US, and China have consistently held above the global average. At the bottom are Russia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia with nearly zero wind and solar power in their mix.

Thirteen of the G-20 still have over half of their electricity from fossil fuels as of 2022. Saudi Arabia stands out with almost 100 per cent of its electricity from oil and gas. South Africa (86 per cent), Indonesia (82 per cent), and India (77 per cent) are the next most reliant on fossil -- all predominantly coal generation.