Every year since 1970, April 22 has represented an international call for climate action and a reminder of the importance of protecting our planet. This year’s Earth Day, with the theme of Our Power, Our Planet, invites the world to join together in support of renewable energy, with the goal of tripling clean electricity generation by 2030.
In honor of Earth Day this year, the Climate School has a variety of articles and events lined up throughout the month of April. Find out more here.
To achieve the goal of tripling clean electricity generation by 2030, countries would need to move away from fossil fuels that produce large amounts of greenhouse gases and switch to “clean” (solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and biomass) energy sources instead.
For context, about 38% of U.S. energy consumption came from petroleum in 2023, which emitted 47% of U.S energy-related CO2, according to the U.S Energy Information Administration. This was followed by the use of natural gas, which accounted for 36% of energy use and added 37% to emissions. Coal represented only 9% of energy consumption, but resulted in 16% of total energy-related CO2 emissions.
“Switching to renewables represents a humanitarian revolution—for the first time in human history, we have a path to provide virtually unlimited, low-cost energy for everyone,” said Aidan Charron, associate director of Global Earth Day.
At State of the Planet, we’ve been covering the research and conversations around energy use and renewables for years. Take a look at some of our recent stories and keep reading State of the Planet for ongoing coverage this Earth Month and year-round.
