The recent conclusion of COP28 marks a significant milestone in the global efforts to combat climate change. The final agreement to "transition away from fossil fuels" and the resolute pledge to "triple renewable energy capacities and double energy efficiency by 2030” signify a promising era for sustainable energy transitions.
In the wake of these decisive outcomes, the World Bioenergy Association (WBA) is proud to present the Global Bioenergy Statistics Report 2023. This annual flagship publication is a valuable resource that provides insight into the intricate dynamics of the global bioenergy landscape. It serves as a tool for guiding stakeholders towards informed decision-making. Here are some key highlights from the report:
Fossil Fuels vs. Renewable Energy: Fossil fuels continue to dominate the global energy supply, constituting 80% of the total primary energy supply. However, renewable energy technologies witnessed a slight decline and had a share of 15% in 2021.
Electricity Sector Dynamics: Coal and gas played a dominating role in generating electricity worldwide, making up nearly 60% of the total electricity generation in 2020. However, renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, also made significant progress and accounted for 29% of the global electricity production. Bioenergy contributed 9% of the power mix, generating 685 TWh. Of this, 69% came from solid biomass sources, while 17% was from municipal and industrial waste.
Renewable Heat Production: Over the past two decades, renewable energy sources such as biomass, geothermal, and solar thermal have doubled their contribution to global heat production. Biomass has accounted for 96% of global renewable heat production, with Europe generating 88% of bioheat globally.
Transportation Industry Challenges: The transportation sector remains heavily reliant on crude oil and its derivatives, constituting over 90% of its energy consumption. Urgent focus on renewable energy use including RE electricity and fuels is imperative for decarbonization of the sector.
Bioenergy commodities: In 2022, Europe leads in wood pellet production with a global production volume of 26 million tonnes, while Africa leads in wood fuel and charcoal production with production of 720 million m3 and 36 million tonnes respectively. Liquid biofuels and biogas production reached 146 billion litres and 38 billion m3 in 2020.
The report can be downloaded here: Link