MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

For the first time, global investment in solar power overtakes investment in fossil fuels, IEA report

“Clean energy is moving fast,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “For every dollar invested in fossil fuels, about US$ 1.7 are now going into clean energy.” Photo: EPA-EFE

Global investment in solar power is expected to overtake investment in oil production for the first time ever this year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said. The IEA projects investment in solar power to hit US$ 380 billion in 2023, compared to investments in oil exploration and extraction at US$ 370 billion.

“This crowns solar as a true energy superpower,” said Dave Jones, head of data insights at the energy think tank Ember.

But, he added, “the irony remains that some of the sunniest places in the world have the lowest levels of solar investment.”

Annual investment in clean energy more broadly is expected to hit US$ 1.7 trillion in 2023 — roughly a 25% increase compared to 2021.

Another US$1 trillion was expected to be invested in fossil fuels. Spending in this field has increased by 15% since 2021, according to the Paris-based energy watchdog World Energy Investment.

“Clean energy is moving fast — faster than many people realize,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “For every dollar invested in fossil fuels, about US$ 1.7 are now going into clean energy. Five years ago, this ratio was one-to-one.”

Photovoltaic solar panels account for the bulk of green energy investment.

Despite the gains for solar and renewable energy in general, the IEA warned that investment in fossil fuels is rising when it should be falling fast in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

For example, spending on upstream oil and gas is still projected to grow by 7% in 2023, largely due to a handful of national oil companies in the Middle East investing more than they did before the coronavirus pandemic.

The IEA also said that advanced economies and China accounted for more than 90% of new investment in renewables, which presents “a serious risk of new dividing lines in global energy if clean energy transitions don't pick up elsewhere.”

Scientists agree that countries need to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, for example by transitioning away from fossil fuels, in order to avoid catastrophic global warming.