The Burrow
Dec 18, 2025
In 2025, global renewable energy production overtook coal, with renewables’ share of global electricity rising to 34.3%, while coal’s share fell to 33.1%. At the same time, global electricity demand grew by 2.6% in the first half of 2025, and solar power covered 83% of that rise.1
As the world strives for a sustainable future, renewable energy, especially solar power, has become pivotal in reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change. Read our history of renewable energy to learn more.
At Compare the Market, we know that carbon neutrality and renewable energy programmes are important to you when comparing energy tariffs, so we’ve done the research and created our global renewables performance index, assessing locations around the world and showcasing how efficiently and effectively solar power is working for them.
Europe is well represented in our index, and the below are the top five countries making the most of renewable energy by demonstrating the positive impact of strong policies, technological innovation, and high solar energy potential.
With an overall index of 70.63/100, Norway has the best renewable power uptake on our list. With a high share of renewable energy capacity, Norway’s electricity generation has a very low carbon intensity. However, Norway’s real trump card is its electric cars.
In 2024, an immense 92% of new cars sold in Norway were electric vehicles; the next highest we found was Sweden, at 58%. Norway has invested in supportive infrastructure for its electric cars and offered tempting incentives for new buyers, enabling it to politely discourage gas-guzzlers from its roads.
Sweden’s electricity generation has a low carbon intensity and makes use of its two most abundant resources – moving water and forests. With a low carbon intensity for electricity production and many jobs available in the renewable energy sector per 100k people, this is one country that’s doing it right.
Sweden also has some innovative approaches to renewable energy, including harnessing body heat from those passing through Stockholm Central Station to heat nearby buildings!2
Finland ranks third overall with a total score of 66.85 out of 100. The country has made significant progress in transitioning towards cleaner power, with 62.8% of its electricity capacity now coming from renewable sources.
Since 2015, Finland has also recorded a substantial 26% increase in the share of renewable energy, one of the strongest improvements among the top 10 nations.
The only non-Scandinavian country in our top five, by 2020 Brazil had added more wind and solar generation since 2015 than Canada’s total wind and solar generation that year.3
Brazil’s renewable sector also has strong business links, offering the highest number of renewable energy jobs per 100k people on our list (734). Overall, Brazil’s index of 61.3 is very respectable, earning it the number four position.
Renewable energy makes up just under 96% of Iceland’s electricity generation, contributing to its fifth place in our index.
Although Iceland’s share of renewable energy has changed the least compared to other countries on our list, it has been a world leader in renewable energy adoption for years.
Australia ranks 21st in the index with a total score of 39.8 out of 100. The country has 54.5% renewable electricity capacity, supported by strong solar and wind uptake.
It has achieved a 30.5% increase in the share of renewables since 2015, which is one of the fastest improvements among major economies.
However, Australia’s electricity grid still records a high carbon intensity of 551.6 gCO₂/kWh, reflecting the significant role fossil fuels continue to play in power generation.
Thirteen per cent of new cars sold in 2024 were electric, showing steady growth in EV adoption, while the sector supports 325 renewable energy jobs per 100,000 people as clean-energy industries expand.
These regions face challenges, including limited infrastructure and slower adoption, leading to longer energy payback periods and lower overall performance. However, they also represent key areas where targeted investments and policy changes could drive improvements in the coming years.
South Korea currently has the lowest share of renewable electricity capacity in the index at 21.1%, although its renewable portion has risen by 14.2% since 2015, showing steady progress toward cleaner energy.
Despite this improvement, South Korea’s electricity system still has a high carbon intensity of 414.3 gCO₂/kWh, reflecting its continued reliance on fossil fuel generation. Clean technology adoption is also developing, with 9.2% of new cars sold in 2024 being electric, and the country supports 109 renewable energy jobs per 100,000 people as the sector expands.
On the whole, we found that a greater reliance on fossil fuels typically correlates with lower electricity rates, but despite only 52.4% of Italy’s electricity being generated by renewable sources, it had the highest residential electricity rate on our list.
In 2017, Italy announced a plan to phase out coal by 2025, but technical challenges have since pushed this target back to 2028.4 Although Italy’s coal use has decreased significantly since 2012, fossil fuels still make up around half of its energy generation.
With just 2.1% of new cars sold being electric, India has the lowest electric vehicle uptake on our list, tied with fellow low adopter Chile. However, renewable energy has taken off in India over the last few years, reflected in its 15.6% change in the share of renewable energy between 2015 and 2024.
Currently, India’s electricity generation is the most carbon-intense in our index, so whether it meets its ambitious 2030 targets for reducing fossil fuel reliance remains to be seen.
Japan finds itself in a very similar situation to India, with just 35.5% of its electricity capacity at present, but it has had a 14.8% change compared to 2015.
Electric vehicle uptake remains limited, with just 2.8% of new cars sold in 2024 being electric, and the renewable energy workforce is developing gradually, with 111 sector jobs per 100,000 residents.
The renewable energy share of Mexico’s electricity capacity is a very limited 28.3%, outdone by South Korea, which has similarly low uptake. Additionally, Mexico’s share of renewable energy has changed by only 2.6% between 2015 and 2024; the other two countries that saw the least change were Iceland and Norway, two of the biggest renewable champions.
The use of fossil fuels does mean cheaper electricity for residents, but the share of new electric cars sold in Mexico in 2024 suggest it isn’t putting that money back onto the roads, at just 2.2%. And finally, Mexico has one of the lowest numbers of jobs available in the renewable energy sector, at just 66 jobs per 100k people.
According to a 2024 study, 80% of people globally want their country to do more to address climate change.5 Sixty-nine per cent said climate change is impacting their big life decisions, such as where they work and live, or what they buy.
Meredith O’Brien, Head of Energy at Compare the Market, says this finding applies to choosing your energy provider as much as it does to choosing your cleaning products.
“This research highlights that countries investing strongly in clean energy are seeing that commitment reflected back through consumer behaviour and job creation in the renewable sector,” she said.
“Whether that’s choosing an electric vehicle, reducing energy use at home, or supporting businesses committed to sustainability, it can help drive further progress and ensure households benefit from cleaner power systems.
“When reviewing your electricity plan, it’s important to compare your options to find products that best support your budget and lifestyle and make the most of the renewable energy that’s becoming increasingly available.”
This dataset ranks 29 countries based on their renewable energy performance index, using six key factors. Each factor’s data was collected and normalised to a score between 0 and 1. If data was missing, a score of 0 was given. These scores were then combined to give each country a total score out of 100, and countries were ranked from highest to lowest.
The factors were indexed as follows:
All data is correct as of 13/11/25. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.
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