• Country

        China

        China’s growing energy needs are increasingly met by renewables, natural gas and electricity. The scale of China’s future electricity demand and the challenge of decarbonising the power supply help explain why global investment in electricity overtook that of oil and gas for the first time in 2016, and why electricity security is moving firmly up the policy agenda. That said, cost reductions for renewables are not sufficient on their own to secure efficient decarbonisation or reliable supply.
        Between 2019 and 2024, China will account for 40% of global renewable capacity expansion, driven by improved system integration, lower curtailment…

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        • Country

        Poland

        Poland’s energy system has seen progress on energy transition, despite its reliance on domestic hard coal and lignite. For example, Poland has one of the fastest growing solar PV markets in the European Union and has also seen a strong uptake of heat pumps. Poland is pushing to become a major player in offshore wind, aiming for at least 3.4 GW of capacity by 2030. However, stronger efforts are needed across all sectors to accelerate energy transition and Poland would benefit from greater electricity interconnections with the rest of Europe.

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        • Country

        Switzerland

        Switzerland has notably decoupled economic growth from energy use despite strong population growth. This trend should continue, and the energy efficiency first principle should be reflected in all climate and energy legislation. Reaching the 2050 net zero emissions target and addressing the growing winter electricity gap between demand and production requires an unprecedented volume of additional renewable generation capacity, especially wind and hydro. For this, the country needs to shorten the complex and extended administrative and legal permitting process. This will also help advancing investments in grid infrastructure to prepare for more decentralised and variable generation. Switzerland should also align…

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        New Zealand

        New Zealand has a diversified energy mix, with significant production of both hydropower and geothermal. As the country embarks on an ambitious energy transition, it has many natural advantages, including a strong renewable resource base. New Zealand already has a low-emissions electricity system, with over 80% of electricity coming from renewable sources. The key challenge will be to decarbonise other end-use sectors through clean power and support investments in new technologies to achieve deeper emissions cuts across all sectors. Notably, the transport sector accounts for the highest share of emissions and is almost entirely dependent on oil while…

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        • Country

        The Netherlands

        The Netherlands aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and numerous measures have been introduced to support achievement of this goal. A competitive auctions process awards subsidies to renewables, hydrogen and carbon capture, based on avoided CO2 emissions. An offshore wind roadmap is driving rapid deployment and aims for 11.5 GW of capacity by 2030, while strong innovation programmes support deployment of key decarbonisation technologies. Electricity from solar has experienced an impressive growth, with the Netherlands ranking among the top countries in the world for installed PV capacity per capita. The Netherlands will need to closely monitor…

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        • Country

        Ireland

        Ireland put in place an ambitious and comprehensive set of policies and targets to reach net zero by 2050 and 80% of renewable electricity generation by 2030, but now their implementation needs to accelerate. Natural gas will remain an important part of the energy mix at least until the mid-2030s, especially to meet peak electricity demand, but offshore renewable energy will become the cornerstone of Ireland’s energy transition beyond 2030. Given Ireland’s current exclusive reliance on energy imports from the United Kingdom, energy security is a major concern to the government while transitioning to a (variable) renewables…

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        • Country

        Greece

        Greece is making progress on its energy transition, including implementing reforms to standardise and simplify licensing procedures for renewable projects and investigating options for offshore wind. Coal fired generation, once the main source of electricity, will be phased out by 2028 at the latest and EUR 5 billion has been committed to assist impacted communities. Auctions are driving strong deployment of solar PV, onshore wind and battery storage. There are also projects for interconnections and renewables to decarbonise electricity on Greek islands. However, more effort is needed boost electrification and improve efficiency in transport and buildings.

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        • Country

        Brazil

        Brazil’s energy policies measure up well against the world’s most urgent energy challenges. Access to electricity across the country is almost universal and renewables meet almost 45% of primary energy demand, making Brazil’s energy sector one of the least carbon-intensive in the world. Total primary energy demand has doubled in Brazil since 1990, led by strong growth in electricity consumption and in demand for transport fuels on the back of robust economic growth and a burgeoning middle class.
        Large hydropower plants account for around 80% of domestic electricity generation, making the Brazilian electricity mix one of…

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        • Country

        Hungary

        Hungary was among the first countries globally, in June 2020, to make a legal commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050 and plans to phase out coal by 2030 at the latest. Enhanced energy efficiency, increased renewable and nuclear electricity and electrification of end-use sectors are identified as the key drivers towards the 2050 target. Hungary plans to build two new nuclear unit and while solar PV has grown notably, wind lacks behind its potential but the change in siting limits for wind turbines are likely to have a positive impact on the sector.

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        • Country

        Latvia

        Latvia is undertaking its energy transition with some promising results to date, with the goal to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions (without land use, land-use change and forestry) by 65% from 1990 levels by 2030 and to achieve net zero by 2050. It has made inroads on the share of renewable energy in its fuel mix, with sizeable shares of bioenergy and hydropower.
        Renewable energy sources dominate its electricity mix, in particular, accounting for around three-quarters of domestic generation. Other sectors, notably transport and buildings, continue to consume large amounts of energy and rely on dated infrastructure that…

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