Global renewable energy generation capacity rose by a record 161GW to an estimated 2,006GW in 2016, the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) says in its Renewable Energy Capacity Statistics 2017.

“This growth in deployment emphasizes the increasingly strong business case for renewables which also have multiple socio-economic benefits in terms of fuelling economic growth, creating jobs and improving human welfare and the environment,” says Irena director general Adnan Amin.