## Powering up (picturethis-1222)

## Source details

**Canonical URL:** [Powering up (picturethis-1222)](https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2022/december/picturethis-1222.pdf)

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### Energy use per person: large cross-country differences
- The map shows primary energy consumption per capita with denominations: No data, 0, 2,000, 10,000, 50,000, 200,000 (energy use per person, 2021, kilowatt-hours).
- The text highlights that the average person in some countries consumes as much as 100 times more than the average person in some of the poorest countries.
- Per-capita energy consumption has peaked in many advanced economies but is growing in developing countries; it must increase in low-income countries to lift people out of poverty and raise living standards.
- Low-income and developing countries are where most of the population growth is happening.

### Current shares and trends in low-carbon and fossil energy
- Low-carbon energy (renewables and nuclear) has accelerated recently to reach 17 percent of total primary energy needs.
- Fossil fuels still make up 77 percent of primary energy consumption—“just as they did 20 years ago.”
- Graphic contributions to primary energy consumption by renewables and nuclear show a historical rise from near 0% to values depicted up to 15% (chart scale: 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%).
- Global primary energy consumption rose from 123K (terawatt-hours) in 2000 to 176K (terawatt-hours) in 2021.
- Charted source shares by fuel (selected values shown in the graphic):
  - 2000: 29%, 25% (labels present in the graphic near the 2000 marker)
  - 2021: 6%, 10%, 22%, 35%, 20%, 6%, 7%, 23%, 4%, 13% (series of percentage labels shown for 2021 fuel shares in the graphic)
- Historical narrative from the graphic:
  - Traditional biomass dominated until the end of the 19th century.
  - Coal became the largest source during the Industrial Revolution.
  - Oil rose to the top spot following postwar automobile booms.
  - Natural gas expanded with pipeline construction.
  - Nuclear capacity expanded rapidly from the 1960s through the 1980s.
  - Hydropower has long been significant; only recently have wind and solar driven a rapid rise in renewables’ share.

### The challenge for net zero and required technologies
- Achieving net zero emissions by 2050 requires both rapidly increasing low-carbon energy and decreasing fossil fuel use at the same time.
- The world needs much more than just wind and solar to achieve a clean energy transition.
- Other technologies and approaches identified as key:
  - Other renewables such as bioenergy.
  - Green hydrogen.
  - Carbon capture and storage.
  - Greater energy efficiency (doing more with less), as emphasized by the IEA’s Fatih Birol.
- The piece underscores that past energy transitions were largely additions of new energy forms during rising total consumption; the present transition must replace fossil fuels even as global energy demand rises.

### Key statistics and visual markers (exact figures from the content)
- Low-carbon energy share: 17 percent.
- Fossil fuels share: 77 percent.
- Map denomination values: No data; 0; 2,000; 10,000; 50,000; 200,000 (kilowatt-hours per person, 2021).
- Global primary energy consumption: 123K (2000), 176K (2021) terawatt-hours.
- Chart percentage scale markers for low-carbon contributions: 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%.

*Source: picturethis-1222 (Finance & Development, December 2022).*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2022/december/picturethis-1222.pdf_