According to the Ember think tank, emissions from the sector plateaued in the first half of 2023, with just a slight increase of 0.2 per cent compared to the same period last year.

During this time, wind and solar were the only electricity sources that significantly increased both their generation, as well as share in the global power mix. Across the globe, 50 countries set new monthly solar generation records in the first half of 2023.

China continues to be the leader in solar generation, providing 43 per cent of global growth, while the EU, US and India accounted for about 12 per cent each. But China also approved more than 50GW of new coal power in the first six months of 2023 – despite commitments to reduce its carbon emissions – and now consumes more than 50 per cent of the world’s coal supply.

Adverse conditions for electricity generation from hydro facilities were likely the main factor in preventing emissions from falling overall, Ember said....