For the first time ever, solar and wind made up the majority of new power generation in the world last year – marking a seismic shift in how nations get their electricity.
Solar additions last year totalled 119 gigawatts, representing 45 per cent of all new capacity, according to a report on Tuesday by BloombergNEF. Together, solar and wind accounted for more than two-thirds of the additions. That’s up from less than a quarter in 2010. The surge comes as countries move to slash carbon emissions and as technology costs fall.
“That is a big deal,” said Luiza Demoro, a Brazil-based BNEF analyst. “It shows that we are going in a good direction. It’s good for the climate.”
Global installations of natural gas-fired power – which in 2010 was the number one technology installed in more than one-third of the world – fell to a 10-year low in 2019. Meanwhile, 81 countries installed at least 1 megawatt of solar last year, with China and India being the top markets for new capacity.
Still, the world added 39GW of net new coal capacity, up from a 10-year low of 19GW in 2018.
“This is a good start, but it’s not enough in the long run,” Ms Demoro said in an interview. “Coal still represents a big share – 29 per cent of installed capacity globally, and 35 per cent of all the power produced last year. There is a lot of work to be done to replace that capacity.”
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
EXPATS
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
