According to the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2016 released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), a total of US$286bn were invested in renewable energies in 2015, a 5% increase over 2014 and a 2.7% increase over the previous record in 2011; it is six times higher than in 2004. Since 2004, more than US$2,300bn have been invested worldwide in renewable energies.
This amount is twice what was invested in fossil fuels in 2015 (gas-fired and coal-fired power plants). In addition, investments in renewables in non-OECD countries topped those of developed nations for the first time in 2015: developing countries invested US$156bn, 20% more than developed countries, thanks to significant investments in China (US$103bn, +17% from 2014 and 36% of the world total). Other developing countries showing increased investment included India (+22% to US$10.2bn), South Africa (+329% to US$4.5bn), Mexico (+10% to US$4bin) and Chile (+151% to US$3.4bn).
Morocco, Turkey and Uruguay all joined the list of countries investing more than US$1bn. Overall developing country investments last year were 17-times higher than in 2004.
Among developed countries, investment in Europe contracted 21%, from US$62bn in 2014 to US$48.8bn in 2015, despite record investments in offshore wind projects. Investments in the United States rose by 19% to US$44.1bn, while Japanese investment remained stable at US$36.2bn.
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