China to Build More Renewables Than EU & U.S. Combined, says IEA

China is expected to build more renewable power plants through 2035 than the U.S., European Union and Japan combined, according to the International Energy Agency.

The share of energy sources including hydropower, biomass, wind and solar in world electricity supply will rise above 30 percent in that period, “drawing ahead of natural gas in the next few years and all but reaching coal as the leading fuel for power generation in 2035,” the Paris-based adviser to 28 nations said in its annual World Energy Outlook report yesterday.

Wind and solar photovoltaic technology will boost renewable output by 45 percent, helping it account for almost half of the increase in global power generation through 2035, the IEA said.

Energy-related emissions will rise 20 percent in the period, meaning global temperatures probably will advance more than 3.6 degrees Celsius (6.5 Fahrenheit) in the long term, above the maximum of 2 degrees internationally agreed as the safe limit, it said.

“As the source of two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions, the energy sector will be pivotal in determining whether or not climate change goals are achieved,” it said.

New initiatives to curb greenhouse gas output in the U.S., China, Europe and Japan may help limit growth in energy-related emissions, the agency said.