By Andrew Breiter-Wu

Today, the world came together and watched an incredible battle between the French and Croatian soccer teams. The game had ups and downs but we ultimately watched France take the victory and win the 2018 FIFA World Cup. But when it comes to renewable energy, who comes on top?

Both the French Republic and the Republic of Croatia are actively driving the development of renewable energy and diversifying their energy portfolios from petrol based sources to renewables.

France beats Croatia yet again when it comes to sustainable, affordable and secure energy systems, according to the Forum’s Global Energy Architecture Performance Index (EAPI). Ranked 5th out of 127 countries, the widespread use of nuclear power in France (it makes up 75% of the country’s electricity supply) goes a long way to explaining this strong performance.

Furthermore, because the cost of generating electricity is low, France is the world’s largest net exporter of electricity, which contributes over 3 billion euros annually to the economy. The nation aims to diversify away from nuclear, and is aiming to expand renewable energy sources to account for 32% of consumption by 2030, according to the Forum report.

Croatia ranks 18th overall, ahead of Germany at 19th, and showing strong performance over the period 2009-2017 — rising 12 places. Switzerland wears the crown in energy architecture performance terms, followed by the Scandinavian nations, Norway, Sweden, Denmark.

With the victory today on the soccer field and their strong performance in renewable energy use, hats off to France!

References:

1. https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2016/11/france-sets-fresh-renewable-targets-for-2023.html

2. https://www.total-croatia-news.com/business/23742-croatian-tourism-turning-towards-renewable-energy-sources

3. https://europeansting.com/2018/07/13/france-v-croatia-how-the-world-cup-finalists-stack-up-off-the-pitch/