Policy targets for renewable energy exist in at least 45 countries worldwide. By mid-2005, at least 43 countries had a national target for renewable energy supply, including all 25 EU countries. (See Figure 11 Table 3)



The EU has Europe-wide targets as well: 21 percent of electricity and 12 percent of total energy by 2010. In addition to these 43 countries, 18 U.S. states (and the District of Columbia) and 3 Canadian provinces have targets based on renewables portfolio standards (although neither the United States nor Canada has a national target). An additional 7 Canadian provinces have planning targets.Most national targets are for shares of electricity production, typically 5–30 percent. Electricity shares range from 1 percent to 78 percent. Other targets are for shares of total primary energy supply, specific installed capacity figures, or total amounts of energy production from renewables, including heat.Most targets aim for the 2010–2012 timeframe.[N25]

The 43 countries with national targets include 10 developing countries: Brazil, China, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, India,Malaysia,Mali, the Philippines, South Africa, and Thailand. A few other developing countries are likely to announce targets in the near future. China’s target of 10 percent of total power capacity by 2010 (excluding large hydropower) implies 60 GW of renewables capacity given projected electric-power growth. China also has targets for 2020, including 10 percent of primary energy and 12.5 percent of power capacity, 270 million square meters of solar hot water, and 20 GW each of wind and biomass power.*1

Thailand is targeting 8 percent of primary energy by 2011 (excluding traditional biomass). India is expecting 10 percent of added electric power capacity, or at least 10 GW of renewables, by 2012.*2 The Philippines is targeting nearly 5 GW total by 2013, or a doubling of existing capacity. South Africa in 2003 set a target of 10 TWh of additional final energy from renewables by 2013, which would represent about 4 percent of power capacity. The Mexican legislature was considering in 2005 a new law on renewable energy that would include a national target.