According to the global environmental organization, renewable energy sources accounted for 50 percent of newly installed capacity in the U.S., and 60 percent in Europe. Within the next year, industry experts predict that the world will add more electric capacity from renewable sources than fossil fuel.
Still, the recession took a noticeable toll on the renewable energy industry worldwide. According to UNEP, investment in clean energy, including energy efficiency, utility-scale solar energy and biofuels, was down 7 percent in 2009. China was said to have added 37 gigawatts of renewable energy last year, making it the world's leader in that category.
However, the report added that when spending on rooftop solar photovoltaic installations and solar water heaters are factored in, renewable energy investments did increase in 2009.
"There remains, however, a serious gap between the ambition and the science in terms of where the world needs to be in 2020 to avoid dangerous climate change. But what this five years of research underlines is that this gap is not unbridgeable," said Achim Steiner, UNEP executive director.
