By 2030, wind power generation could reach 1,260 gigawatts and very likely 2,110 gigawatts. Growth that requires investment of around 200 billion euros, which over the next 14 years could create 2.4 million new jobs worldwide. This is the forecast of the Global Wind Energy Council (Gwec), an international industry organisation, contained in its latest report "Global wind energy outlook", which profiles wind energy development scenarios for 2020, 2030 and 2050.

China leads wind energy growth

Growth in wind power generation worldwide is already a reality. At the end of 2015, wind installations produced 433 gigawatts, up 17 per cent on the previous year, and are set to increase by a further 60 gigawatts in 2016. The offshore wind market is also growing rapidly, with 3.4 gigawatts of capacity added last year, bringing total installed capacity worldwide to above 12 gigawatts.

Much of the growth has been driven by China, which at the end of 2015 accounted for more than 33 per cent of global wind power generation. A rise that Beijing continues to sustain — it is in fact the only country in the world to have managed to install 30.8 gigawatts of new wind capacity during the course of this year.

Towards a decarbonisation of energy and transport

The falling costs of wind, solar and other renewable technologies are making it increasingly clear — as Gwec highlights — that "a decarbonised energy industry is not only technically feasible, but also economically competitive. New markets are developing rapidly across Africa, Asia and Latin America, using clean energy to support sustainable development."

The transport sector can also contribute to this challenge, as noted by Sven Teske of the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney: "Decarbonising the global energy system includes the transport sector, one of the largest producers of CO2. The electric mobility market, with regard to electric vehicles and public transport, will continue to grow significantly, and with it the demand for electricity in the transport sector. Wind energy is in pole position to meet this future energy demand, making the wind industry a key element of the energy sector."

Wind energy necessary to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement

According to Gwec, investment in wind energy could also bring with it a marked improvement in the air we breathe. Some 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 would be avoided every year worldwide — a valuable contribution to limiting climate change and giving momentum to the objectives of Cop21. "Now that the Paris Agreement is a reality," stated Steve Sawyer, Gwec secretary general, "countries will need to start getting serious about the commitments made last December. Meeting the Paris targets means delivering fully decarbonised electricity well before 2050, and wind energy will play a leading role in achieving that."

Italian wind energy in fifth place in Europe

In Europe, wind energy is growing exponentially — last year alone, 44.2 per cent of all newly installed capacity was in this sector. And this growth shows no signs of stopping: following the more moderate scenario proposed by Gwec, European wind capacity could grow by 42 per cent by 2020 compared to 2015, and reach 320 gigawatts by 2030, marking an increase of 126 per cent on 2015.

With 9 gigawatts of capacity, Italy is in fifth place in the European Union for installed wind capacity. Ahead of it are Germany (44.9 gigawatts), Spain (23 gigawatts), the United Kingdom (13.6 gigawatts) and France (10 gigawatts). Germany, with 47 per cent of all new wind installations commissioned in the EU last year, remains Europe's leading wind energy market.

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