Total investment in renewable power and fuels last year surged by 17% to a record $257 billion, according to a report issued yesterday by the United Nations Environment Programme. India expanded its outlays the fastest in 2011, with an impressive 62% increase, thanks to its National Solar Mission.
The US overtook China in the race to be the lead investor in renewable energy, with a 57% leap in its outlays to $51 billion. But new markets also opened up, bringing the total number of countries installing wind, solar and biomass systems to around fifty.
Clean energy sources have now grown to supply 16.7 % of global energy consumption and, excluding large hydro-electric, account for 44% of all new generating capacity added worldwide in 2011.
































