Renewable sources have overtaken coal, oil and gas in EU electricity generation for the first time, new analysis shows.

Wind, solar, hydro and bioenergy generated 40% of the 27 member states’ electricity in the first half of the year, beating fossil fuels which accounted for 34%, according to Ember, a climate think-tank focused on accelerating the global electricity transition, quoted by Euractiv.com and Climate Home News.

As a result, carbon emissions from the bloc’s power sector fell by nearly a quarter in the first six months of 2020.

Dave Jones, a senior electricity analyst at Ember, said this marked a “symbolic moment” in the transition of Europe’s electricity sector – pointing out that nine years ago fossil fuels generated twice as much of the EU’s electricity as renewable sources.

While electricity demand in the EU fell by 7% due to COVID-19, generation from renewables rose by 11%, largely driven by new wind and solar installations which produced a record fifth of Europe’s electricity. In Denmark, 64% of electricity was generated from wind and solar.