【The Intern - A Summer of Lust】

China and The Intern - A Summer of LustIndia stand to benefit if America's progress on clean energy slips under President-elect Donald Trump, energy experts say.

Trump has vowed to gut U.S. climate policies that favor wind, solar and other lower-emissions technologies and instead revive the struggling coal sector.

But the world's energy market is moving in the opposite direction, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Wednesday in its annual World Energy Outlook.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

SEE ALSO: In energy milestone, renewables overtake coal for first time

Clean energy is projected to grow exponentially in the next two decades as countries work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change while expanding access to electricity. The shift will create millions more jobs and spur trillions of dollars in annual investment, the Paris-based IEA said.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

The U.S. could forfeit some of those economic gains if Trump lives up to his campaign promises to reinvigorate the fossil fuel sector and tackle "real environmental challenges" instead of "phony" ones like climate change.

China and India -- two rapidly growing economies with rising energy needs -- would gladly pick up that slack, said Tim Buckley, director of energy finance studies for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

"China and India are very happy to have the global leadership of industries of the future that employ millions of people and are seeing close to $2 trillion of investment a year," Buckley said, citing figures from the new report.

Mashable Trend Report Decode what’s viral, what’s next, and what it all means. Sign up for Mashable’s weekly Trend Report newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"If America wants to forfeit that leadership, or erode it, then China or India will very happily grasp it," he said.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

China and India, each of which are home to over a billion people and counting, represent a significant share of the renewable energy projections outlined in the report. The IEA said renewables could represent the largest source of power generation in both countries within two decades.

China has already warned Trump not to back away from U.S. commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement, and signaled that it would lead future climate negotiations if the U.S. were to step back.

The energy future

The energy agency will present the report on Thursday at the United Nations' climate conference in Marrakech, Morocco, where leaders are meeting to create an action plan to implement the Paris accord.

Countries have agreed to keep global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, above preindustrial levels through 2100 to avoid catastrophic impacts from climate change.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In its report, the IEA describes how energy markets should look by 2040 to keep the world on track for a 2-degree climate outcome:

• A third of global power generation will come from wind and solar, up from 4 percent today.

• Renewables overall will account for 58 percent of power generation, up from 23 percent today.

• Coal's contribution will shrink to only 7 percent of the mix, down from about 40 percent.

• Annual investment in power plants will rise to $700 billion a year. Three-quarters of that is for renewable technologies, and less than 15 percent for fossil fuels.

• Almost half of all passenger cars will be electric vehicles, up from a tiny fraction today.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Yet even these projections are considered too modest by many climate and energy experts. The IEA's most aggressive scenario still only gives the world a 50-50 chance of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees.

Greg Muttitt, a senior adviser at the environmental group Oil Change International, urged the IEA to update its forecasting methods to show how the world should actually look to meet the goals of the Paris agreement.

"The world needs better odds of avoiding dangerous climate change than a toss of a coin," he said in a statement.

Topics Electric Vehicles Sustainability

• Digital Culture
• Science
• Life
• Shopping
• Games
• Deals
• Social Good
• Entertainment

• SpaceX's Starlink satellite launch in pictures
• 'Last Week Tonight' team publicly thirst over Adam Driver at the Emmys
• Relentless COVID fears bring hygiene theater to our cars
• The Emmys made a support group for actors without awards: Watch
• How to Settle Down with Dystopia
• LG is selling a $1.7 million TV
• Shaun White's freakish Olympic win was a truly emotional experience
• A dad carved Hogwarts out of ice for his daughters
• Against Fear
• A dad carved Hogwarts out of ice for his daughters

• Pope Francis and Mark Zuckerberg use the same simple trick to protect themselves from hackers
• Tennis legend Roger Federer playing a pair of 'air bongos' is pure dorky joy
• Carnival's new wearable cruise tech may help you forget about the rotten internet access
• Your TV boyfriend Sterling K. Brown joins the cast of 'Black Panther'
• What it's like to show a sex toy at CES
• Beagle and his baby BFF have their picture taken monthly over 2 years
• All the ways to watch the biggest college football game of the year
• The perfect kitchen appliance for people who suck at cooking
• What to do if you're trapped in an infinity scarf
• Dolphins escape from Japanese town made famous by 'The Cove'

• NYT Strands hints, answers for April 26
• Olympic curling is a great way to trick your children into cleaning the house
• Canadian speed skater whips South Korean fans into a frenzy over Olympic medal drama
• How to pair Bluetooth headphones to your Nintendo Switch
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for May 19: Tips to solve Connections #238
• 10 best kids movies on Hulu
• Snapchat at 10: A decade of deleting photos, scandals, and invention
• Here's why Olympians are awarded stuffed tigers in Pyeongchang
• 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 4: Why Ellie sings 'Take on Me'
• The Emmys made a support group for actors without awards: Watch

• This is the fattest of the extremely fat bears
• Olympic Austrian skier dramatically crashes into cameraman
• Everyone can go home now. The Obamas just won Valentine's Day.
• Walmart deliveries arrive via autonomous Ford cars
• Best Hydro Flask deal: Save $10 on a 24
• A full list of 2021 Emmy winners
• Gabby Petito's disappearance shouldn't be an internet true crime thriller
• Roommates prank friend by turning their bedroom into a bad museum from the future
• Alienware M16 Gaming Laptop deal: Save $560
• Watch Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster disappear into deep space