Key findings:

Since 2010, the world has added more solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity than in the previous four decades. Total global capacity overtook 150 gigawatts (GW) in early 2014

The geographical pattern of deployment is rapidly changing. While a few European countries, led by Germany and Italy, initiated large-scale PV development, since 2013, the People’s Republic of China has led the global PV market, followed by Japan and the United States

PV system prices have been divided by three in six years in most markets, while module prices have been divided by five

This report looks at the impact of ‘good practice’ emission reduction policies in nine different areas globally and across six countries: China, Brazil, India, the US, Russia and Japan.

These include renewable energy, a variety of energy efficiency standards (buildings, car fuel efficiency, appliances and lighting, industry), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC’s), emissions from fossil fuel production, electric cars and forestry.