Food systems still emitted 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2020. Meanwhile, renewable sources generated 30.2% of global electricity in 2022.
Key Takeaways
- 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent were emitted globally from food systems in 2020
- 12.0% of total global final energy consumption came from renewables in 2022
- 30.2% of global electricity generation came from renewables in 2022
- $9.3 billion global market size for sustainable packaging in 2023
- $27.3 billion global market size for green building materials in 2023
- $383.7 billion global market size for electric vehicles in 2024
- 73% of organizations report using ESG reporting software in 2023
- 41% of US consumers say they have purchased a sustainable product in the last year (2024 survey)
- 42% of new vehicle sales were electric globally in 2023
- In 2023, unsubsidized solar PV and wind were among the lowest-cost new-generation options in many regions (IEA analysis)
- Energy efficiency improvements generated $2.9 trillion in global economic savings from 1990 to 2018
- LED lighting reduced electricity consumption by about 50% relative to fluorescent in 2020-era installations (IEA Lighting report)
- 9.2 million tonnes of plastic were mismanaged in 2019 in rivers, with 80% originating in Asia and Africa
- 73% of global food loss and waste occurs at the consumer and retail levels (share of total), which is a major lever for eco-friendly food-system impact reduction
- 38% of global emissions were from buildings in 2019 (as reported by sector-based climate accounting), indicating large eco-friendly decarbonization opportunities
Food systems drive major emissions, while renewables, EVs, and green materials scale fast to cut impact.
Related reading
01 · Category
Environmental Impact4 stats
01
2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent were emitted globally from food systems in 2020
02
12.0% of total global final energy consumption came from renewables in 2022
03
30.2% of global electricity generation came from renewables in 2022
04
22.9% of municipal waste was recycled globally in 2018
Interpretation
Environmental Impact Interpretation
Under the Environmental Impact lens, the numbers show a clear mismatch between progress and the scale of emissions since food systems still emitted 2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2020 even as renewables supplied 12.0% of final energy and 30.2% of electricity in 2022 and only 22.9% of municipal waste was recycled in 2018.
02 · Category
Market Size9 stats
01
$9.3 billion global market size for sustainable packaging in 2023
02
$27.3 billion global market size for green building materials in 2023
03
$383.7 billion global market size for electric vehicles in 2024
04
$19.8 billion global market size for carbon capture and storage in 2023
05
$5.2 billion global market size for bio-based plastics in 2023
06
$14.1 billion global market size for energy-efficient building materials in 2022
07
$23.6 billion global market size for green chemicals in 2022
08
$36.4 billion global market size for sustainable apparel in 2023
09
$78.5 billion global market size for environmental services in 2023
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size picture for eco friendly is expanding quickly across multiple segments, with global sustainable packaging at $9.3 billion in 2023 and green building materials at $27.3 billion in 2023, while electric vehicles surged to $383.7 billion in 2024 and related areas like carbon capture reached $19.8 billion in 2023.
03 · Category
User Adoption4 stats
01
73% of organizations report using ESG reporting software in 2023
02
41% of US consumers say they have purchased a sustainable product in the last year (2024 survey)
03
42% of new vehicle sales were electric globally in 2023
04
6.5 million solar PV systems were installed in the US by end of 2023
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
The User Adoption picture for eco friendly solutions is clearly accelerating, with 73% of organizations using ESG reporting software in 2023 alongside strong consumer and market demand signals like 41% of US consumers buying a sustainable product in the past year and 42% of new vehicle sales going electric globally in 2023.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis6 stats
01
In 2023, unsubsidized solar PV and wind were among the lowest-cost new-generation options in many regions (IEA analysis)
02
Energy efficiency improvements generated $2.9 trillion in global economic savings from 1990 to 2018
03
LED lighting reduced electricity consumption by about 50% relative to fluorescent in 2020-era installations (IEA Lighting report)
04
Replacing coal with renewables can reduce average generation costs by up to 50% in selected markets (2018 study)
05
Composting can reduce landfill disposal costs; US EPA reports average tipping fees of $40–$90 per ton depending on locality
06
$100 billion in annual climate-related economic losses globally were estimated for certain scenarios in a 2020 OECD report
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that energy transitions and efficiency can deliver major savings, with improvements worth $2.9 trillion globally from 1990 to 2018 and LED lighting cutting electricity use by about 50% in 2020-era installations, while composting can lower landfill disposal costs where tipping fees run $40–$90 per ton and replacing coal with renewables can cut average generation costs by up to 50% in some markets.
05 · Category
Environmental Waste2 stats
01
9.2 million tonnes of plastic were mismanaged in 2019 in rivers, with 80% originating in Asia and Africa
02
73% of global food loss and waste occurs at the consumer and retail levels (share of total), which is a major lever for eco-friendly food-system impact reduction
Interpretation
Environmental Waste Interpretation
For the environmental waste challenge, the scale is stark: 9.2 million tonnes of plastic were mismanaged in rivers in 2019 with 80% coming from Asia and Africa, while food loss and waste reach 73% at the consumer and retail levels, making waste reduction at the source and point of consumption essential.
More related reading
06 · Category
Emissions & Decarbonization2 stats
01
38% of global emissions were from buildings in 2019 (as reported by sector-based climate accounting), indicating large eco-friendly decarbonization opportunities
02
23% of global CO2 emissions in 2019 came from transport, highlighting the scale of eco-friendly mobility transitions needed
Interpretation
Emissions & Decarbonization Interpretation
With buildings responsible for 38% of global emissions in 2019 and transport accounting for 23% of CO2, emissions and decarbonization efforts must prioritize major reductions across both the built environment and mobility systems.
07 · Category
Renewable & Energy3 stats
01
2023 was the first year in which the International Energy Agency reported record levels of renewable electricity additions, totaling 510 TWh, reflecting rapid eco-friendly generation growth
02
Total global installed capacity of solar PV reached about 1,000 GW in 2020 (rapid growth context for eco-friendly solar deployment)
03
In 2023, global solar generation supplied about 5% of electricity generation (share used in Ember’s annual electricity review)
Interpretation
Renewable & Energy Interpretation
In the Renewable and Energy category, record renewable electricity additions of 510 TW in 2023 and rapid solar growth to about 1,000 GW of solar PV capacity by 2020 underline how solar is scaling fast enough that it provided roughly 5% of global electricity generation in 2023.
08 · Category
Circular Economy1 stats
01
Global packaging waste generated was 141 million tonnes in 2020 (global baseline estimate for packaging circularity planning)
Interpretation
Circular Economy Interpretation
In 2020, the world generated 141 million tonnes of packaging waste, underscoring how crucial it is for the circular economy to keep materials in use and prevent more waste from entering the system.
09 · Category
Green Supply Chains4 stats
01
EU batteries regulatory framework targets collection and recycling efficiencies, including a requirement of at least 70% recycling efficiency for certain battery chemistries (targets embedded in the EU Batteries Regulation)
02
The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires covered companies to report sustainability information starting from fiscal year 2024 for first-wave companies (per directive scheduling)
03
The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) phase-in started on 1 October 2023 with an initial reporting obligation (eco-friendly trade decarbonization compliance milestone)
04
The EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) entered into force on 18 July 2024, establishing eco-design requirements across product groups
Interpretation
Green Supply Chains Interpretation
For green supply chains, EU policy is tightening in a measurable way with rules like the 70 percent battery recycling efficiency target and new reporting and trade controls rolling in from 2023 and 2024, signaling a clear shift toward verified sustainability across the entire product and material flow.
report visual · Comparison
Renewables’ share across energy and electricity
Renewables contribute a meaningful share of energy use and an even larger share of electricity generation.
30.2% of global electricity generation came from renewables in 202230.2%
12.0% of total global final energy consumption came from renewables in 2022
12%
2.5 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent were emitted globally from food systems in 2020
2.5
source-verifiediea.org · ipcc.ch2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Eco Friendly Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/eco-friendly-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Eco Friendly Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/eco-friendly-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Eco Friendly Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/eco-friendly-statistics.
Sources & references
35 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)