Countries aim to increase global wind energy capacity 2.4-fold by 2030, but national plans fall short of the UN’s COP28 commitment to triple global renewable energy capacity.
London-based think tank Ember analyzed the 2030 wind energy targets of 70 countries and the EU, which account for 99% of the current installed wind capacity, to see if they align with the COP28 goal.
The report found that while national targets would double global wind capacity by 2030, they are insufficient to meet the COP28 pledge. Current targets would expand wind energy capacity from 901 gigawatts at the end of 2022 to 2,157 gigawatts by 2030. Achieving the tripling goal requires an additional 585 gigawatts worldwide.
Most of the expected increase will come from China, which is projected to triple its wind capacity by 2030 and account for over half of the global increase in wind capacity from 2024 to 2030.
However, the U.S. and India face significant gaps between their current targets and the needed increase.
Not all countries are falling short. Brazil needs to build 0.3 gigawatts of new wind capacity annually from 2024 to 2030 to meet its 2030 targets. Last year, Brazil set a record by adding 5.3 gigawatts of wind capacity, and the IEA predicts it will add an average of 2.4 gigawatts annually until 2030.
Turkey has nearly achieved its goal of generating 12% of its electricity from wind by 2030 and has the potential to set higher targets.
Ember Electric Analyst Katye Altieri noted, “Governments are not ambitious or proactive enough, especially in onshore wind capacity. Despite its role in providing cheap electricity and complementing solar energy, wind energy isn’t receiving adequate attention.”
Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), emphasized that wind energy must be central to the clean energy transition. “Every gigawatt installed is a step towards a greener world. Targets play a crucial role in guiding our direction, but only real actions that meet these targets can effectively address climate change, drive clean industry, and ensure secure energy,” he said.