NZ a top 10 country heading to sustainable energy

Otautahi - New Zealand is one of the top 10 countries in the world in leading the transition to sustainable energy, according to the World Economic Forum.

More than 70 percent of tracked countries have made progress on energy access and security, the forum says.

The fostering effective energy transition 2021 report highlights global progress in tackling greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation.

Just 13 out of 115 countries have made consistent improvements over the past 10 years. Fossil fuels account for 81  percent of all power in 2018.

More than 770 million people still lack access to electricity. Sweden, Norway and Denmark have topped the forum’s latest energy transition index (ETI).

While progress is being made around the world to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation, many countries are not doing enough. Australia is ranked 35th and Japan 37th.

The ETI rankings are based on energy performance, including the resilience and efficiency of generation and transmission, and progress to cleaner forms of energy.

Sweden leads the global rankings, followed by Norway and Denmark. The top 10 countries account for around 2 percent of the global population and approximately 3 percent of energy-related CO2 emissions.

While the top 10 is made up exclusively of developed countries, the UK and France are the only major global economies to feature.

The top 10 countries

The highest-placed non-advanced economy is Latvia (12), which is classed as emerging and developing in Europe.

Fossil fuels are still the dominant source of global energy, accounting for 81 percent of all power in 2018. Reducing the reliance on coal, oil and gas is a necessary part of achieving vital climate objectives such as the UN’s sustainable development goals and the Paris Agreement.

Over the past 10 years of the ETI, more than 70 percent of tracked countries have made progress on energy access and security, but only 13 of the 115 have made consistent gains, the report says, noting that more needs to be done to improve the robustness of supplies to newly electrified areas.

The shift to lower carbon forms of energy must not undermine economic and financial security. Policymakers need to put in place measures that will support their economies, including re-evaluating energy policy and investment decisions.