Solar Is Most Favored Energy Source Globally

• A majority of over 21,000 respondents to a survey have picked solar energy as the world's power generation technology of choice  
• The support is irrespective of political affiliation, as in the US where Republicans too prefer it  
• Strong and willing leadership is significant to unify public to be able scale up solar power deployment  

A survey of citizens in 21 nations shows solar energy wins over fossil fuels as the power generation technology of choice. Currently it makes up only 2% of the global energy consumption compared to 77% share of fossil fuels.  

Produced by international research agency Glocalities in collaboration with the Global Citizen and The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, the report interviewed over 21,000 people in 21 nations including Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the US and the UK.  

The report titled Harnessing Solar Power shows 68% of respondents prefer solar energy, followed by 54% supporting wind energy, 36% hydropower and 24% nuclear energy.  

For general public, it is the upside that clean energy including solar promises in terms of creating jobs, enhancing public health through reduced pollution or delivering reliable and affordable energy. 

A majority of respondents in the US, for instance, also favor solar power over fossil fuels, especially Republican voters. It is a 'clear signal that there's a common ground where political agendas and citizen demands can meet', according to the Co-Founder and Chief Policy and Government Affairs Officer at Global Citizen, Michael Sheldrick. 

The report writers argue that to achieve this 'moonshot' mission of our times – to generate a minimum of 85% of the world's energy from renewables by 2050 mainly through solar and wind power – a strong and willing leadership is important. 

"The current international survey results reveal that providing the world population with access to solar energy will be a game changer. It is a unifying topic that promises to be a highly impactful milestone in human history," reads the report. 

It further reads, "When leaders tap into this collective desire for change, they can build a diverse coalition united by a shared vision. Such a coalition is essential for enacting the kind of sweeping policy changes needed to resolve our energy and climate crises." 

The complete report can be downloaded from Glocalities website for free.