New wind installations hit a record last year, report says

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🗞️ Driving the news: The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reported that a record 117 gigawatts (GW) of new wind capacity was installed globally in 2022, marking a 50% increase from the previous year 
• The installations included 106 GW from onshore and 10.8 GW from offshore wind projects

🔭 The context: The significant growth in wind capacity was particularly strong in China, the U.S., Brazil, and Germany
• Despite these advances, the GWEC emphasizes the need for a dramatic increase in installations to meet global climate goals, requiring at least 320 GW annually by 2030

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The expansion of wind power is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving the targets set by international climate agreements
• Achieving a cumulative capacity of 3 terawatts (TW) by 2030, as required, would significantly contribute to mitigating climate change impacts

⏭️ What's next: The wind industry is expected to continue growing, with an anticipated 158 GW of new installations annually until 2028
• However, to meet the necessary targets, global efforts must focus on removing market barriers and enhancing frameworks to support further expansion

💬 One quote: "It took us over 40 years to reach the 1 TW mark of worldwide installed wind power. We now have just seven years to install the next 2 TW," (Ben Backwell, Chief Executive of GWEC)

📈 One stat: China commissioned 75 GW of new wind capacity in 2022, nearly 65% of the global total

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