Global Electricity Trends

This report by Ember provides a detailed analysis of global electricity generation, demand, and emissions for 2022, evaluating progress toward net-zero targets. It highlights a record growth in wind and solar power, offset by a continued reliance on fossil fuels and a historic decline in nuclear generation. The report notes that while emissions intensity is at its lowest level, absolute power sector emissions reached an all-time high in 2022.

• In 2022, fossil fuels continued to dominate the global electricity generation mix at 61%, with coal accounting for 36% (10,186 TWh) and fossil gas for 22% (6,336 TWh). Other fossil fuels contributed 3% (850 TWh).
• Wind and solar power experienced record year-on-year growth in 2022, increasing by 312 TWh (+17%) and 245 TWh (+24%) respectively, bringing their combined share of global electricity to 12%.
• Nuclear generation saw a historic decrease of 4.7% (-129 TWh) in 2022, primarily driven by maintenance issues in France and plant closures in Germany and Belgium, as well as planned maintenance in Japan.
• Global electricity demand reached a record high of 28,510 TWh in 2022, an increase of 694 TWh (+2.5%) from 2021. China, the United States, and the EU were the largest consumers, accounting for 31%, 15%, and 10% of demand respectively.
• Power sector emissions reached a new all-time high of 12,431 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022, a 1.3% increase over the previous year. The top 10 absolute emitters, including China, the US, and India, are responsible for 80% of these emissions.
• To align with the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario, unabated coal plants must be phased out by 2035 in mature economies and by 2040 in developing ones, with wind and solar providing nearly 70% of electricity by 2050.
• Since 2000, global electricity demand has nearly doubled, rising from 14,972 TWh to 28,510 TWh. This growth was heavily driven by China, where generation increased more than 6.5 times, and India, where demand more than tripled.

APA

Ember (2023). Global Electricity Trends. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/global-electricity-trends-2/

Chicago

Ember. Global Electricity Trends. 2023. https://ember-energy.org/chapter/global-electricity-trends-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=Global Electricity Trends |date=12 April 2023 |url=https://ember-energy.org/chapter/global-electricity-trends-2/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2023global, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{Global Electricity Trends}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://ember-energy.org/chapter/global-electricity-trends-2/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }