The world is rushing to develop infrastructure for green energy sources in an effort to mitigate climate change.
Communities, economies, and ecosystems all around the world are already suffering greatly as a result of climate change, which is caused by the burning of coal, oil, and gas.
Moving to an energy system based on renewables is the simplest, fastest, and most efficient approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change.
Though there is still plenty to do, some people are moving forward. The use of renewable energy is becoming more prevalent in daily life.
More households now have solar panels on their rooftops, some public transportation also uses renewable energy.
In an effort to achieve zero emissions in the upcoming years, many countries throughout the world are switching to green energy.
Some of the inspiring nations that are reducing their emissions through creative integrations of renewable resources and effective, focused strategies are discussed further.
The irony is that even while the globe is converting to green energy, the biggest producers and suppliers of green energy are also the biggest consumers of fossil fuels.
This is why in this article we will examine nations that create the greenest energy (gigawatts) and nations that are supporting their countries in a much more environmentally friendly manner.
Largest Producers of Green Energy in Terms of Capacity
China
China is the world’s leader in the production of electricity from renewable sources. The top producer of renewable energy is also the world’s largest carbon emitter.
Contrary to popular assumption, China leads the world in solar and wind energy production.
They’re also one of the top investors in renewable energy globally, aiming to produce a third of its energy from renewable sources by 2025.
United States
In terms of green energy production, and carbon emissions the US comes in second.
The US’s fastest-growing energy source is renewable energy, with a 42% rise from 2010 to 2020 or a 90% increase from 2000.
Renewable energy sources generated over 20% of the nation’s electricity in 2020.
India
India is the world’s third-largest carbon emitter.
But in recent years it has become one of the leading countries to install green energy.
The Indian government has established challenging goals for renewable energy and plans to reach 175 GW by 2022.
Brazil
Brazil comes in third place in terms of renewable energy installation.
Although hydropower has long dominated the energy sector, other renewable sources of generating have grown and are continuing to draw attention from investors.
They deserve praise for their recent environmental policies.
Top Countries Running on Renewable Energy
Iceland
In terms of renewable energy, Iceland is the global leader. Since a few years ago, 100% of the nation’s electricity has been produced using renewable resources.
Currently, domestically produced renewable energy sources account for over 85% of Iceland’s entire primary energy supply.
This budget for all national energy uses has the largest proportion of renewable energy.
So, how did they carry this out? Iceland uses hydropower to generate 73% of its electricity. Evaporation, groundwater flow, and glacier flow all contribute to energy production.
In addition to that, the 32 volcanoes spread out throughout the island, which is how they produce the rest of 27% of their energy.
Geothermal technology is so advanced that scientists have found ways to transfer the heat produced by the earth into houses and government structures.
Norway
Let’s move on to Norway, where a whopping 98% of electricity is produced via renewable sources, with hydropower serving as the primary one.
Furthermore, Norway chooses bioenergy over coal or oil as a more environmentally responsible option to heat its people during the colder months.
In actuality, in 2017 about 20% of the energy used for heating came from bioenergy and about 50% came from garbage. On the other hand, only approximately 5% came from oil and gas.
Scotland
Scotland met over 98% of its electricity demand from renewable sources in 2020. The Scots have been aiming for more renewable energy year after year.
In 2016, 54% of its electricity was generated by renewable sources; in 2017, this number increased to 68.1%; and in 2018, it reached an astounding 74.6%.
Costa Rica
Since 2015 Costa Rica has produced a staggering 98% of its electricity from renewable sources. They probably will in 2022 as well.
To complete its tasks, Costa Rica combines hydro, geothermal, wind, biomass, and solar energy. They’ve even had success exporting the extra power they’ve produced in some years.
Here, individuals as well as the environment have profited from renewable energy.
The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) estimates that 1.6 million households, 295 companies, and 9,000 sectors in Costa Rica benefit from renewable energy.
Almost 100% of the country now has access to electricity, up from 14% in 1949.
Uruguay
About 97% of the electricity in Uruguay is generated using green energy.
This little nation, which has a population of only 3.5 million, is among the top five solar and wind energy producers in the world.
Uruguay’s installed wind capacity increased from almost zero in 2008 to about 4,000 megawatts in 2017.
As a result, compared to their high in 2012, carbon emissions have decreased by about 20%.
Kenya
In Kenya, around 77% of the energy is generated through renewable sources of energy, bioenergy makes up 64.6% of the country’s entire energy mix, and renewable energy sources account for 15.2% of it.
Geothermal and hydropower account for more than 75% of the country’s electrical production.
Solar, wind, and geothermal energy all have a lot of promise in Kenya because of the country’s high solar output, brisk coastal breezes, and local geology.
Niaragua
Around 81% of Nicaragua’s total electricity produced in 2020 came from renewable sources. To improve broad access to electricity, Nicaragua added renewable energy sources to its mix of energy sources.
As a result, more than 3.4 million Nicaraguans benefited from the country’s 97.16% coverage at the end of the year.
Conclusion
Many countries throughout the world have found ways to utilize their natural environments for the benefit of both their population and the environment in the race toward sustainability.
These countries have a lot to teach us all. And it’s time that we all follow their lead.
