Global shift to renewables slowed in 2023, policy group says
By Reuters
May 29, 202411:20 PM EDT

SINGAPORE, May 30 (Reuters) - The global shift to renewables in major energy-consuming sectors slowed in 2023, hindered by regulatory gaps, political pressures and a failure to set clear targets, a policy group said on Wednesday.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine war helped ambitions to shift to renewables amid growing concerns about energy security, but governments have failed to build on the momentum, an annual assessment by Paris-based REN21 group said.

By the end of last year, only 13 countries - including the United States, India and China - had implemented policies on renewables that cover buildings, industry, transport and agriculture, with only 12.7% of the energy the sectors consume coming from clean sources, REN21 said.

Many countries have even backtracked on their ambitions: of 69 countries with renewable energy targets for end-users, only 17 extended them beyond 2024, said REN21, which brings together governments, research institutions and NGOs to promote the switch to clean energy.

…