Interactive: Mapping Renewable Energy Around the World
Which countries are leading the way in transitioning away from fossil fuels?
The above map tracks a form of human activity that didn't exist when Gerardus Mercator first illustrated his style of world projection in 1569: industrial energy production. Click around the map to see the change of global trends in energy over the last 30 years. For each country, data is available for consumption of electricity and the amount of power generated from renewable sources.
Many developed nations have held high, stable rates of energy consumption since 1980, while emerging nations' rates are relatively low. China, on the other hand, is quickly speeding up its electricity use. While countries' usages of different types of renewable energy vary, rates are generally rising: Many of them, when possible, are increasingly embracing wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric power.