Among the 55 global energy systems assessed by the International Energy Agency (IEA) for its annual report, just two are on track to achieve the organization’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050: lighting (specifically transitioning to LEDs) and electric vehicles.
"This year is...expected to see another all-time high for electric vehicle sales, lifting them to 13% of total light duty vehicle sales globally," the IEA says.
That's up from 8.3% in 2021 and 4.2% in 2020. As of 2021, China lead in number of EVs sold, followed by Germany and the United States, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).
IEA publishes its report annually, and this year’s results largely mirror last year’s, which also found electric vehicles and lighting to be the only two industries on track to its goal.
In a rare spot of positive news in the climate sector, though, “there are more signs than ever that the new global energy economy is advancing strongly,” says IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “This reaffirms my belief that today’s global energy crisis can be a turning point towards a cleaner, more affordable and more secure energy system.”
Initial estimates point to 2022 being a record year for renewable energy across the globe, with an increase of about 340 gigawatts of renewable power, or nearly the entire capacity of Japan. China accounts for about half of those additions, but it also has more carbon emissions than the rest of the developed countries combined, Rhodium reports.
Of the remaining 53 industries the Paris-based organization assessed, IEA classified 30 as “more efforts needed” and 23 as “not on track.” The “not on track” list includes:
- Improving the energy efficiency of building designs
- Developing clean and efficient district heating
- Phasing out coal-fired power
- Eliminating methane flaring
- Shifting aviation and shipping to cleaner fuels
- Making cement, chemical and steel production cleaner
The report pointed to the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States as one of the year’s most pivotal policy contributions. The “historic” legislation “provides $370 billion in energy security and climate change investments, giving a boost to a huge array of clean energy technologies, from solar, wind and electric vehicles to carbon capture and hydrogen,” says the IEA.