Renewable energy is a hot topic, pun intended. In order to combat global warming and climate change, many countries are implementing more renewable energy, including most countries throughout Europe. 

If you’re interested in the status of renewable energy in Europe, you’re at the right place. Read on for some important things to know, from promising news about the fight against climate change to how different countries in Europe stack up against each other in terms of renewable energy.

Renewable Energy is surpassing Fossil Fuels

In 2020, Europe reached an important milestone in the battle against climate change. For the first time ever, renewable energy surpassed fossil fuels as the primary source of energy. 

According to a report released by the U.K. think tank Ember in partnership with German think tank Agora Energiewende, renewable energy generated 38% of The European Union’s electricity in 2020, compared to 34.6% in 2019. With fossil fuels falling from 39.5% in 2019 to 37% in 2020, this means that for the first time, renewable energy has become the primary generator of energy in The European Union. 

The European Union is Tightening Carbon Regulations

The European Union is set to unveil a sweeping set of new climate change policies in July, many of them targeting transportation and industry, some of the biggest carbon emitters in both Europe and the world as a whole.

Targeting transportation is an important move for reducing overall admissions, and a big part of this will be controlling the supply of carbon permits across all forms of transportation, including maritime, a part of the industry that has been underregulated. In 2019, only 9% of gross final energy consumption in transport was provided by renewable energy. 

The Leaders in Renewable Energy in Europe

While The European Union as a whole is dramatically increasing its share of renewable energy, the increase is not evenly spread amongst the countries. There are some clear leaders in renewable energy and some that are severely lagging.

Sweden is by far the leader in renewable energy in The European Union, with over half of its energy (54.6%) generated by renewable sources. Outside of the EU, Norway and Iceland are the only other two countries in Europe generating over half of their energy from renewable sources. Other leaders within the EU include Finland (43%), Latvia (41%), Denmark (36%), and Austria (33%). 

While most countries within the EU are above or nearing 20% renewable energy and nearly all of them are above 10% there are a few countries still falling short, including some major emitters. The lowest share of renewable energy came from Luxembourg (7%) and Malta (8.5%), however, major players in the European economy also fell short. The Netherlands is only producing 8.8% of its energy from renewable sources, while neighboring country Belgium’s share of renewable energy is 9.4%.

Doing Your Part to Combat Climate Change

All across the world, countries, and individuals need to do more to combat climate change. Investing in renewable energy, such as solar panels from companies like Blue Raven Solar can help reduce global warming in the US, Europe, and beyond. 

Learn more about climate change and other important topics by staying here and reading our other articles!