导读:随着北方各地开始供暖,雾霾又出现在了人们的生活中。尽管可再生能源成本已经大幅下降,可是离我们的生活似乎还是很远。
The world installed more new renewable energy last year than coal, as countries attempt to shift away from fossil fuels and take advantage of massive cost reductions in wind and solar technology.
随着各国努力摆脱对化石燃料的依赖、并大量利用风能和太阳能技术,全世界去年使用的可再生能源比煤炭要多。
More than half of all energy generation capacity added in 2015 came from renewable sources, as the world installed more than half a million solar panels a day and two wind turbines every hour, the International Energy Agency announced Tuesday.
国际能源总署周二宣布,随着全世界每天安装50万太阳能电池板、每小时安装两个风力涡轮,2015年新增的发电产能中,有一半以上都是来自可再生能源。
“We are witnessing a transformation of global power markets led by renewables and, as is the case with other fields, the center of gravity for renewable growth is moving to emerging markets,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol said in a statement.
“我们正在看到世界能源市场向可再生能源的转变,在其他领域也是如此,现在可再生能源的增长的中心正在移向新兴市场国家。”国际能源总署执行主任法提赫·毕罗尔在一份声明中说。
Those statistics only reflect the total amount now able to be produced, not the energy that was actually generated.
这些数据只反映出了现在能够生产的能源总量,而不是已经生产出的能源总量。
The agency said renewables would be the fastest-growing source of electricity production over the next five years and would “rapidly close the gap with coal.” More than 65 percent of this capacity will come from development in China, the U.S., the European Union and India ― also the world’s four biggest polluters.
国际能源总署表示,在未来五年内,可再生能源将是增长最快的发电来源,将会“迅速赶上和煤炭之间的差距”。超过65%的产能将来自中国、美国、欧盟以及印度的发展——也是世界上四大污染源。
The cost of renewable energy has fallen dramatically in recent years as funding for new technology has skyrocketed. Investment in clean energy capacity beat that of fossil fuels 2 to 1 between 2008 and 2015, according to the United Nations Environment Program.
近年来,可再生能源的成本大幅下降,对这种新技术的投资也直线上升。根据联合国环境规划署的数据,在2008年到2015年期间,对清洁能源的投资是化石燃料的二倍。
Leaders in the environmental community praised the statistics. Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, hailed the move as a “historic milestone,” but he called on leaders to “maintain our focus to keep up the momentum” behind the clean energy transition.
环保团体的领导人对此数据赞许有加。山峦俱乐部的执行董事迈克尔·布伦称赞此举是“历史性的里程碑”,但是也呼吁各国领导人“集中精力”,在向清洁能源的转换过程汇总保持住“良好势头”。
“The international community has reached a turning point as we hit the accelerator on the transition to a clean energy economy,” Brune said in a statement. “This news doesn’t just mean the world installed more renewable energy than dirty coal ― it means cleaner air, new jobs, and a more stable climate.”
“随着我们加快向清洁能源经济转变,国际社会已经到了一个转折点。”布伦在一份声明中说,“这个消息不仅仅意味着全世界使用的可再生能源比煤炭多——还意味着干净的空气、新的工作机会以及更加稳定的气候。”
While the IEA did raise its estimate for the amount of renewable energy produced by 2021, the agency also warned of barriers to entry in developing countries and renewed calls for “stronger policy efforts” in the heat and transportation sectors.
虽然国际能源总署估计到2021年,可再生能源产能将会提高,该机构也警示了进入发展中国家的壁垒,并再次呼吁在热力和交通方面执行“强有力的政策”。