UNEP Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative (SEFI) and New Energy Finance have just released “Global trends in sustainable energy investment" report (freely downloadable). The report provides an overview of capital flows and an analysis of the trends in sustainable energy investment activity.
Despite financial turmoil, investment flows continue to grow with over $148 billion in new funding entering the sustainable energy sector globally, up 60% from 2006. Renewable energy, accounted for 9.4% of global energy investment and for 23% of new electricity generating capacity in 2007. Investment levels are on track to reach $450 billion a year by 2012 and $600 billion a year in 2020.
The report argues that solar, wind, geothermal and other currently commercial technologies are higher priority than new technologies to clean up existing energy infrastructure. The main short-term challenge is to accelerate policies to drive the process of change.
For the visually minded, here are a few graphics highlighted in the report.
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