Energy

How 5 Global Brands Use Renewable Energy

Published

8 years ago

November 3, 2015

Jeff Desjardins

How 5 Global Brands Use Renewable Energy

According to the Renewable Energy Policy Network, about 22.1% of the world’s energy needs are satisfied by renewable energy. Hydro power accounts for most of this (16.4%) and the remainder (5.7%) comes from solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable sources.

While many governments are undertaking initiatives to keep the percentage share of renewable energy sources increasing, there are also some large global brands that are helping lead the charge to a greener economy. Today’s infographic covers these brands and the business moves they have made to ensure a smaller footprint.

Microsoft has committed to being carbon-neutral since 2013. To help with this initiative, the company has made several 20-year deals to buy wind-generated power including from a 175 MW wind project in Illinois and a 110 MW project in Texas.

Sony plans to have a zero environmental footprint by 2050, and already uses 100% renewable energy for its CD manufacturing in Austria. The company is also targeting to reduce the annual energy consumption of its products by 30% by 2020.

Google has been carbon-neutral since 2007, and buys carbon credits to offset its emissions. The company plans to be eventually using renewable energy for 100% of its supply, and is 35% of the way there. They are in the process of investing $2 billion in renewable energy projects.

Ikea, the furniture giant, has set 2020 as the year it plans to become 100% powered by renewable energy. The Swedish company has already committed €1.5 billion to solar and wind energy, including investment in wind farms in at least nine countries.

Lastly, Walmart has committed to procuring 7 billion kWh of energy from renewable sources by 2020, and it claims it is already 32% of the way there. Walmart currently has more than 335 renewable energy projects in operation or development throughout the world.

Original graphic by: Make It Cheaper

Related Topics:google energy microsoft renewable energy walmart sony

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Energy

The World’s Biggest Nuclear Energy Producers

China has grown its nuclear capacity over the last decade, now ranking second on the list of top nuclear energy producers.

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Pallavi Rao

A cropped chart breaking down the biggest nuclear energy producers, by country, in 2022.

The World’s Biggest Nuclear Energy Producers

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on Apple or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Scientists in South Korea recently broke a record in a nuclear fusion experiment. For 48 seconds, they sustained a temperature seven times that of the sun’s core.

But generating commercially viable energy from nuclear fusion still remains more science fiction than reality. Meanwhile, its more reliable sibling, nuclear fission, has been powering our world for many decades.

In this graphic, we visualized the top producers of nuclear energy by their share of the global total, measured in terawatt hours (TWh). Data for this was sourced from the Nuclear Energy Institute, last updated in August 2022.

Which Country Generates the Most Nuclear Energy?

Nuclear energy production in the U.S. is more than twice the amount produced by China (ranked second) and France (ranked third) put together. In total, the U.S. accounts for nearly 30% of global nuclear energy output.

However, nuclear power only accounts for one-fifth of America’s electricity supply. This is in contrast to France, which generates 60% of its electricity from nuclear plants.

Rank	Country	Nuclear Energy Produced (TWh)	% of Total
1	🇺🇸 U.S.	772	29%
2	🇨🇳 China	383	14%
3	🇫🇷 France	363	14%
4	🇷🇺 Russia	208	8%
5	🇰🇷 South Korea	150	6%
6	🇨🇦 Canada	87	3%
7	🇺🇦 Ukraine	81	3%
8	🇩🇪 Germany	65	2%
9	🇯🇵 Japan	61	2%
10	🇪🇸 Spain	54	2%
11	🇸🇪 Sweden	51	2%
12	🇧🇪 Belgium	48	2%
13	🇬🇧 UK	42	2%
14	🇮🇳 India	40	2%
15	🇨🇿 Czech Republic	29	1%
N/A	🌐 Other	219	8%
N/A	🌍 Total	2,653	100%

Another highlight is how China has rapidly grown its nuclear energy capabilities in the last decade. Between 2016 and 2021, for example, it increased its share of global nuclear energy output from less than 10% to more than 14%, overtaking France for second place.

On the opposite end, the UK’s share has slipped to 2% over the same time period.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has heavily relied on nuclear energy to power its grid. In March 2022, it lost access to its key Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station after Russian forces wrested control of the facility. With six 1,000 MW reactors, the plant is one of the largest in Europe. It is currently not producing any power, and has been the site of recent drone attacks.