Abstract:

Like every year, the Renewables Global Status Report (GSR) has been launched to present the latest data and facts on renewable energy policies, markets and investments. This year its quite different from previous year. Time seems to be separated into a pre-COVID and a post-COVID period. Energy supply and demand have been disrupted, and carbon dioxide emissions fell. In such unprecedented times, stepping back to look at what happened in the renewable energy sector in 2019 may seem counter intuitive. As disruptive as COVID-19 has been, the crisis does not alter observable trends in the energy sector that have persisted for years. The truth remains that: its right time to enact a structural shift built on an efficient and renewable-based energy system if we want to decarbonise our economies. In the effort not only to provide accurate data but also to advance renewables in areas of weaker historic progress, GSR 2020 is different from former editions.