A mix of fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables sources power the globe

Percentage of world’s electricity that is generated using these resources:

Coal

Natural gas

Oil

Nuclear

Renewables

Coal includes peat and oil shale.

Renewable energy sources include hydro, geothermal, solar, wind, biofuels and waste, and other types.

The demands of a developing world require more electricity

In 1980, a little more than 8 million GWh, or gigawatt-hours, of electricity were generated around the world. By 2012, the output nearly tripled as the global population increased and developing countries had a greater demand for electricity.

Global electricity generation in gigawatt-hours (GWh)

Total world output

Coal

Natural gas

Oil

Nuclear

Renewables

22.7 million GWh

9.2 million

5.1

1.1

2.5

4.8

2012

1980

3.1 million

1.0

1.7

0.7

1.8

8.3 million

Percentage change may not match because the totals have been rounded.

But the use of fossil fuels to produce electricity comes at a cost: CO 2 emissions

Of all the fossil fuels, coal releases the largest amount of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour of electricity and heat produced, and it remains by far the most widely used fuel. In 2012, coal was responsible for 72 percent of electric-sector emissions; in the past three years, the growth in coal consumption has slowed.

Total global CO 2 emissions in 2012, in millions of tons (Mt)

Total emissions

Renewable and nuclear sources are near-zero carbon generators

Coal

Natural gas

Oil

13,346 Mt

9,547

2,740

942

2012

Other CO 2 fuel source

emissions, not shown,

include industrial and

1980

municipal waste.

5,482 Mt

3,466

634

1,378

China, U.S., India, Russia and Japan create the most power — and emissions

Electricity and heat generation is the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions globally – larger than transportation or any other sector.

Global CO 2 emissions in 2012, in millions of tons

South Korea

EUROPE

NORTH AMERICA

Russia

932

97

CANADA

Germany

U.K.

179

POLAND

85

China

305

155

334

4,104 Mt

KAZAKHSTAN

UKRAINE

U.S.

132

SPAIN

2,086 Mt

ITALY

90

TURKEY

IRAN

127

113

Japan

145

566

India

1,044

201

EGYPT

133

MEXICO

73

90

MALAYSIA

Saudi Arabia

OCEANIA

159

54

BRAZIL

South Africa

INDONESIA

199

54

ARGENTINA

233

MIDDLE EAST

SOUTH AMERICA

AFRICA

ASIA

Australia

Top 10 carbon-polluting countries in bold

Since 1980, India’s electricity capacity has grown by a factor of eight, and it still hopes to extend electric power to 300 million people living without it. China’s capacity today is nearly 20 times as large as it was in 1980. In sub-Saharan Africa, where just 24 percent of the population has access to electric power, demand is likely to grow exponentially in the years ahead.

Coal-burning power plants are the biggest polluters

72%

of all fossil fuel emissions

Coal is cheap, in part because of China’s economic slowdown, combined with the newly tapped abundant reserves of natural gas in the United States. This is placing significant negative pressure on efforts to develop and expand renewable sources of electricity — solar, wind and hydropower, among them. They are less able to compete economically.

Total CO 2 emissions in 2012 from coal, in millions of tons

Carbon emissions from coal from the world’s leading coal burners —

China, the United States and India — accounted for nearly 50 percent

of all fossil fuel emissions.

Carbon footprint of natural gas

21%

of all fossil fuel emissions

Of countries that use natural gas, U.S., Russia and Japan account for 48 percent of the world’s electricity and heat produced from this resource.

Total CO 2 emissions in 2012 from natural gas, in millions of tons

The outer ring represents total carbon emissions, in millions of tons, from electricity produced by coal, natural gas and oil.

Oil’s carbon footprint

7%

of all fossil fuel emissions

Japan, Saudi Arabia and Iran account for 44 percent of the world’s electricity and heat generated from oil.

Total CO 2 emissions in 2012 from oil, in millions of tons

The outer ring represents total carbon emissions, in millions of tons, from electricity produced by coal, natural gas and oil.