Renewables surpass coal as world's leading power source: Many positives, some concerns, Pg19.

Key Highlights:

• In the first half of 2025, renewable energy surpassed coal as the world's leading source of electricity.
• India's non-fossil fuel sources accounted for 50.1% of its installed electricity capacity as of June 2025.
• India committed to achieving 40% non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 in the Paris Agreement (2015), later hiked to 50% in 2022.
• Globally, renewables' share of electricity rose to 34.3%, while coal's share fell to 33.1% in the first half of 2025.

Detailed Insights:

• The rise in solar and wind energy met 100% of the extra electricity demand, leading to a slight decline in coal and gas use globally.
• The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that global renewables could more than double by the end of the decade, with solar power contributing 80% of new clean energy capacity.
• China is expected to remain the largest growth market for renewables, with India emerging as the second largest over the decade.
• As of June 2025, India's total installed capacity was 485 GW, with renewables at 185 GW, large hydro at 49 GW, and nuclear at 9 GW.
• In the first half of 2025, emissions declined in China and India due to clean generation outpacing demand, while emissions rose in the EU and the US.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Renewable Energy: Energy derived from natural processes that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed.
• Non-Fossil Fuels: Energy sources that do not originate from fossilized organic matter, including renewables, nuclear and hydro.
• Installed Capacity: The maximum amount of electricity that a power plant or system can produce under ideal conditions.