This Graph Shows Why Europe, India, & China Should Adopt Cleantech ASAP

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Scrolling through the 75th edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy from the Energy Institute this week, several things jumped out to me. If you’ve missed my previous coverage of the report, also see “Renewables, Led By Solar, Were Largest Source of Energy Supply Growth Globally in 2025” and “US Accounted for Nearly 50% of World’s CO2 Emissions Growth in 2025 — Thanks, AI Data Center Explosion & Pro-Pollution Trump.” This article is going to be a little more concise. It’s focused on one graph that really doesn’t tell us anything new, but sends a message that is too consistently ignored. Here’s the graph:

The USA, well, that’s a story itself which I won’t even touch in this piece. There are plenty of reasons to try to be a cleantech leader beyond this graph. But for Europe, India, and China, this should be evidence enough that all of them should be electrifying their transportation and switching to renewable energy for their electricity as soon as possible.

They are spending billions upon billions upon billions upon billions of dollars (or euros, rupees, yuan) on oil, gas, and coal from other countries. They are sending so much money to other countries for dirty, polluting, inefficient fuel that also causes severe health problems and premature deaths among their people. They are heavily funding other economies. For what purpose? Why? Because this is how it’s been done for more than 100 years? Because they already built infrastructure and vehicles that use oil, coal, and gas?

Be super proactive. Cut the fossil fuel addiction. Stop sending trillions of dollars to other nations and then polluting your citizenry. It just makes sense.