http://www.newenergyworldnetwork.com/renewable-energy-news/by-technology/energy-efficiency/fossil-fuels-overshadow-clean-energy.html

Surging demand for fossil fuels is outstripping the deployment of new clean energy technologies on a global scale, a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) has shown.

Despite notable successes in the deployment of clean energy technologies in recent years, these have been eclipsed as coal has met 47 per cent of the new global demand for electricity over the past decade, the IEA said.
The IEA has argued that more aggressive clean energy policies are required to change the status quo, including the removal of fossil fuel subsidies and the implementation of more transparent and adaptive incentives for clean energy options.
IEA deputy executive director Ambassador Richard Jones, who presented the report to ministers gathered in Abu Dhabi, said the world’s dependence on fossil fuels is posing short-term risks to political stability and economic activity.
He said, ‘Despite countries’ best efforts, the world is coming ever closer to missing targets that we believe are essential for meeting the goal agreed in Cancun to limit the growth in global average temperatures to less than two degrees Celsius.
‘A number of countries have shown that achieving rapid transition to cleaner technologies is possible, and can be done from the bottom up. We must see more ambitious, effective policies that respond to market signals while providing long-term, predictable support.’
The report notes that policy support over the last decade has led to a positive rise in renewable energy projects, particularly in solar and wind.
It said at least ten countries now have sizeable domestic solar markets, up from three in 2000, while global installed wind power capacity at the end of 2010 hit 194GW, more than ten times the 17GW installed by the end of 2000.
The IEA has projected that achieving the goal of halving global energy-related carbon emissions by 2050 will require doubling all renewable energy usage by 2020, compared to toady’s levels.
Global renewable electricity generation since 1990 grew at a rate of 2.7 per cent each year on average, which is less than the three per cent growth seen in total global electricity generation.
It has recommended that switching to less carbon-intensive fuels and improving the efficiency of coal plants will achieve significant reductions in carbon emissions and should be prioritised.
It has also urged that governments do more to assist the market entry of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, predicting rapid growth in alternative vehicles in 2011. Governments should look to build sustained markets for electric vehicles that last for at least the next decade, the report said, by pricing incentives and supporting the construction of recharging infrastructure.