In all the furore surrounding the growing impact of renewable energies on global energy production, one figure stands out in this year's IEA World Energy Outlook: global energy consumption will grow by a third over the next 25 years. The report says that renewables are expected to account for about half of total world electricity generation capacity growth from 2010 through 2040. The country is forecast to become the world's biggest user of coal; the biggest source of demand growth for oil; account for 20% of the world's solar capacity, and by 2040 will almost match the USA in terms of gross energy consumption. These facts almost make India the biggest single risk factor global carbon emission control over the coming decades.
In all the furore surrounding the growing impact of renewable energies on global energy production, one figure stands out in this year's IEA World Energy Outlook: global energy consumption will grow by a third over the next 25 years.This enormous figure is based on the demand momentum from emerging economies, particularly India. The country is forecast to become the world's biggest user of coal; the biggest source of demand growth for oil; account for 20% of the world's solar capacity, and by 2040 will almost match the USA in terms of gross energy consumption. These facts almost make India the biggest single risk factor global carbon emission control over the coming decades.