New research reveals the countries with the highest (& lowest) supply of renewable energy in the race to net zero. So, how does New Zealand fare?
The experts at Utility Bidder looked at the total final consumption figures for each energy product in 2020 and the total energy supply of each product between 2010 and 2020 for 38 OECD countries to reveal the countries with the highest (& lowest) supply of renewable energy.
You can view the full research here – https://www.utilitybidder.co.uk/blog/powering-the-world-2023/
Top 10 countries with the highest supply of renewable energy
|
Rank |
Country |
Total Renewable Energy Supply (PJ) |
Total Overall Energy Supply (PJ) |
% of Renewable Energy Supply |
|
1 |
Iceland |
221 |
247 |
89.47% |
|
2 |
Norway |
625 |
1150 |
54.35% |
|
3 |
Costa Rica |
108 |
200 |
54.00% |
|
4 |
Sweden |
960 |
1877 |
51.15% |
|
5 |
Latvia |
78 |
179 |
43.58% |
|
6 |
Denmark |
264 |
638 |
41.38% |
|
7 |
New Zealand |
338 |
824 |
41.02% |
|
8 |
Finland |
492 |
1329 |
37.02% |
|
9 |
Austria |
451 |
1320 |
34.17% |
|
10 |
Estonia |
56 |
187 |
29.95% |
With 89.47% of its total energy supply encompassing renewable energy sources, Iceland is top on our list. The two primary sources of renewable energy here are hydroelectricity and geothermal power, which are both apt for the colder climate of this country.
Norway appears second on our list. Similarly to Iceland, this country has implemented many hydropower plants to assist in producing electricity for its Norwegian residents. As well as this, the people here have adopted the use of electric cars as a way to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced.
Costa Rica is falling just shy of second place. Located near the equator, Costa Rica has taken advantage of its sunny weather by establishing a series of solar power stations nationwide.
Top 10 countries with the lowest supply of renewable energy
|
Rank |
Country |
Total Renewable Energy Supply (PJ) |
Total Overall Energy Supply (PJ) |
% of Renewable Energy Supply |
|
1 |
Korea |
388 |
11560 |
3.36% |
|
2 |
Israel |
43 |
883 |
4.87% |
|
3 |
Australia |
418 |
5485 |
7.62% |
|
4 |
Japan |
1360 |
16109 |
8.44% |
|
5 |
United States |
7387 |
85324 |
8.66% |
|
6 |
Mexico |
689 |
7407 |
9.30% |
|
7 |
Netherlands |
305 |
2903 |
10.51% |
|
8 |
Belgium |
227 |
2107 |
10.77% |
|
9 |
Hungary |
135 |
1099 |
12.28% |
|
10 |
Luxembourg |
18 |
143 |
12.59% |
With only 3.36% of its total energy supply coming from renewable sources, Korea appears at the top of our list. Despite having the lowest proportion of renewable energy supply, Korea has acknowledged this and has proposed ways to increase its use of renewable energy in the future.
Next on our list of countries with the lowest share of renewable energy is Israel. With much of this country’s electricity sector still using fossil fuels, it appears that Israel is still relying on traditional forms of energy supply – evidenced by the fact that only 4.87% of energy here is from renewable sources.
Completing our top three is Australia. Despite only having 7.62% of its energy supplied through renewable sources, Australia uses various renewable energy types. Of these sustainable energy supplies, biomass and wind power are among the most commonly used.
Further findings:
Oil products make up over 44% of the total energy consumption worldwide – more than any other product. This is followed by electricity (23.01%) and natural gas (21.36%).
Denmark has seen the biggest change in its supply of renewable energy sources – increasing by 19.39% in the last decade
You can review the research here https://www.utilitybidder.co.uk/blog/powering-the-world-2023/
