The recent report by the energy think tank Ember highlights the significant challenges in meeting the global goal of tripling wind capacity by 2030, a target crucial for keeping climate change in check.
The report finds that current national targets set by governments worldwide amount to a 2.4-fold increase in global wind capacity from 901 GW in 2022 to 2157 GW by 2030. However, this falls short of the tripling goal set at the UN’s COP28 climate conference.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) emphasized that tripling global renewables capacity, including wind energy, is essential to reducing emissions and maintaining the 1.5°C temperature limit. The report analyzed the wind targets of 70 countries and the EU, accounting for 99% of current global wind capacity. While the analysis predicts a doubling of capacity by 2030, this increase is largely driven by China, which is expected to over-deliver and account for more than half of global wind additions each year from 2024 to 2030.
In contrast, countries like the US and India face significant shortfalls in meeting their targets. The US lacks an explicit wind target but is expected to increase its capacity by 2.6 times by 2030, requiring a steep annual increase from its current low build rate. India aims to install 110 GW of wind capacity as part of its broader 509 GW renewable energy target, but its current pace of installations is far below what’s needed.
To achieve the tripling of wind capacity globally, an additional 585 GW is required beyond the current targets, emphasising the need for accelerated efforts and investments in wind energy infrastructure worldwide.