Renewables continue to grow — to the point of reaching a new record in 2015. Solar, hydroelectric and wind power are all on the rise, particularly in the United States, Africa and China.

And it is in the East that the most remarkable figures are recorded. According to the latest report by Global Data, half of the wind capacity installed worldwide in 2015 comes from China. The report puts new installed capacity at around 30.5 GW, while the outlook for this year points to a further growth of 23 GW. "After focusing on the growth of installed capacity, China, with its 13th five-year plan, is now aiming to reach the target of 250 GW by 2020," said Ankit Mathur of Global Data.

Wind, solar and hydroelectric lead the growth

Renewable energy sources have recorded growth across the entire globe, with a total of 147 GW of new installed capacity — comparable to all the power generated by the entire African continent. Growth, particularly in solar and wind, is "a clear indication that these technologies have competitive costs compared to fossil fuels," said Christine Lins, executive secretary of Ren21 (Renewable energy policy network for 21st century), the international body that monitors and promotes renewables at the international level and that every year produces a detailed report on the growth of renewable energy worldwide.

While the increase in installed capacity drives a rise in clean energy production, it is also generating growth in employment. According to the latest report by Irena (International renewable energy agency), 8.1 million new jobs have been created in the renewables sector, 3.5 million of them in China alone. "Irena's research," underlines Irena director general Adnan Z. Amin, "estimates that if the share of renewables in the energy mix were doubled — a share sufficient to meet climate targets — more than 24 million new jobs would be created worldwide."