Electricity generated by renewables surpasses gas for first time

Record 38.9 per cent of power generated by wind, solar and hydro energies

Thursday 19 December 2019 17:20

Earth may have already hit climate change 'tipping point' leading to catastrophic domino effect that threatens civilisation's existence

Electricity generated from renewables surpassed power from gas for the first time in the three months from July to September, official figures show.

A record 38.9 per cent of power was generated by wind, solar, hydro and other renewables in the third quarter of 2019, marginally higher than the 38.8 per cent share of electricity coming from gas over the three-month period.

The statistics from the Business and Energy Department also reveal that coal generated just 1 per cent of power over the period.

Low-carbon electricity overall, which includes renewables and nuclear, reached new highs of 57.3 per cent of the mix, despite lower output from nuclear reactors, as a result of strong levels of generation from technology such as wind.

The figures, which show the ongoing switch away from fossil fuels – particularly coal – to cleaner sources of power, came after the government’s climate advisers urged the prime minister to drive ambitious action on tackling emissions.

Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

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1/20Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

California

In this decade, humans have become ever more aware of climate change. Calls for leaders to act echo around the globe as the signs of a changing climate become ever more difficult to ignore

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Athens, Greece

Fierce wildfires have flared up in numerous countries. The damage being caused is unprecedented: 103 people were killed in wildfires last year in California, one of the places best prepared, best equipped to fight such blazes in the world

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Redding, California

Entire towns have been razed. The towns of Redding and Paradise in California were all but eliminated in the 2018 season

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Athens, Greece

While wildfires in Greece (pictured), Australia, Indonesia and many other countries have wrought chaos to infrastructure, economies and cost lives

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Carlisle, England

In Britain, flooding has become commonplace. Extreme downpours in Carlisle in the winter of 2015 saw the previous record flood level being eclipsed by two feet

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Hebden Bridge, England

Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire has flooded repeatedly in the past decade, with the worst coming on Christmas Day 2015. Toby Smith of Climate Visuals, an organisation focused on improving how climate change is depicted in the media, says: "Extreme weather and flooding, has and will become more frequent due to climate change. An increase in the severity and distribution of press images, reports and media coverage across the nation has localised the issue. It has raised our emotions, perception and personalised the effects and hazards of climate change."

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Somerset, England

Out west in Somerset, floods in 2013 led to entire villages being cut off and isolated for weeks

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Dumfries, Scotland

"In summer 2012, intense rain flooded over 8000 properties. In 2013, storms and coastal surges combined catastrophically with elevated sea levels whilst December 2015, was the wettest month ever recorded. Major flooding events continued through the decade with the UK government declaring flooding as one of the nation's major threats in 2017," says Mr Smith of Climate Visuals

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

London, England

Weather has been more extreme in Britain in recent years. The 'Beast from the East' which arrived in February 2018 brought extraordinarily cold temperatures and high snowfall. Central London (pictured), where the city bustle tends to mean that snow doesn't even settle, was covered in inches of snow for day

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

London, England

Months after the cold snap, a heatwave struck Britain, rendering the normally plush green of England's parks in Summer a parched brown for weeks

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

New South Wales, Australia

Worsening droughts in many countries have been disastrous for crop yields and have threatened livestock. In Australia, where a brutal drought persisted for months last year, farmers have suffered from mental health problems because of the threat to their livelihood

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Tonle Sap, Cambodia

Even dedicated climate skeptic Jeremy Clarkson has come to recognise the threat of climate change after visiting the Tonle Sap lake system in Cambodia. Over a million people rely on the water of Tonle Sap for work and sustinence but, as Mr Clarkson witnessed, a drought has severley depleted the water level

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

In reaction to these harbingers of climate obliteration, some humans have taken measures to counter the impending disaster. Ethiopia recently planted a reported 350 million trees in a single day

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Morocco

Morocco has undertaken the most ambitious solar power scheme in the world, recently completing a solar plant the size of San Francisco

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

London, England

Electric cars are taking off as a viable alternative to fossil fuel burning vehicles and major cities across the world are adding charging points to accomodate

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Purmerend, The Netherlands

Cities around the world are embracing cycling too, as a clean (and healthy) mode of transport. The Netherlands continues to lead the way with bikes far outnumbering people

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Xiamen, China

Cycling infrastructure is taking over cities the world over, in the hope of reducing society's dependency on polluting vehicles

Ma Weiwei

Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Chennai, India

Despite positive steps being taken, humans continue to have a wildly adverse effect on the climate. There have been numerous major oil spills this decade, the most notable being the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

Amazon rainforest, Brazil

More recently, large swathes of the Amazon rainforest were set alight by people to clear land for agriculture

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Climate change: Decade's defining issue in pictures

California

This decade may have seen horrors but it has led to an understanding that the next decade must see change if human life is to continue

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The Committee on Climate Change wrote to Boris Johnson after his election victory, urging him to make good on a manifesto pledge to deliver 40 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.

They also said ambitious action is needed to cut emissions in other areas, including from heating homes, transport, industry and agriculture.

In the Queen’s Speech, the government said it would continue to take steps to meet the “world-leading” target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

Industry body RenewableUK’s head of policy and regulation Rebecca Williams said: “We’ve reached a historic tipping point with renewables outperforming gas for the first quarter ever.

“As MPs take their seats in the new parliament today, we’re looking forward to working closely with the new government to speed up the transition to clean power.

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“Wind is playing the leading role in this, generating nearly 20 per cent of our electricity between July and September.

“We need to use a wide range of technologies to tackle dangerous climate change, including onshore wind as well as offshore, innovative floating wind and tidal power.”

Press Association

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