24/7 carbon-free energy trend
According to Our World in Data, energy use accounts for 73.2%1 of the total carbon emissions. Such a high proportion has made renewable energy the key to achieving net zero emissions and has driven governments and companies to set a target of 100% renewable (RE100). Figure 1 below illustrates monthly renewable energy consumption and generation, assuming that annual consumption is equal to annual generation2 . Due to the intermittency of renewable energy sources (e.g., solar power generation is most efficient at noon and in summer; offshore wind generation is three times more efficient in winter than in summer), RE100 cannot be achieved on a monthly basis. However, settling electricity on an annual basis is not rigorous enough and has been considered "greenwashing" by a growing number of advocacy groups and major brand owners in recent years.
Figure 1. Monthly renewable energy consumption and generation
After matching all its energy consumption with RE100 in 2017, Google launched the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy initiative in 2021, in partnership with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and the United Nations. The initiative requires all of its operations around the world to use carbon-free energy 24/7, as settled in hours. As of May 2023, more than 100 compan