Wind Energy Could Reduce CO2 Emissions 10B Tons by 2020

The "Global Wind Energy Outlook 2008", published by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and Greenpeace International, looks at the global potential of wind power up to 2050 and found that it could play a key part in achieving a decline in emissions by 2020. By 2020, wind power could save as much as 1.5 billion tons of CO2 every year, which would add up to over 10 billion tonnes in this timeframe.

The report also explains how wind energy can provide up to 30% of the word’s electricity by the middle of the century. More importantly, wind power could save as much as 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 every year by 2020.

GWEO 2008 explores three different scenarios for wind power:

A reference scenario based on figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA)
A moderate version which assumes that current targets for renewable energy are successful
An advanced scenario which assumes that all policy options in favour of renewables have been adopted

These are then set against two demand projections for global energy demand.

Wind energy is becoming a substantial factor in economic development, providing more than 350,000 green collar jobs around the world today both in direct and indirect employment. By 2020, this figure is projected to increase to over 2 million.

To download a copy of the full report, click here.