More than a fifth of energy used in the European Union in 2021 came from renewables, new data shows.

Solar, wind and other ‘green’ sources contributed 21.8 per cent to the EU’s total energy consumption, according to Eurostat.

This was a 0.3 per cent drop on 2020; the first decrease ever recorded. Experts say it was due to a surge in energy use after pandemic lockdowns were lifted.

But the report shows that Europe’s energy infrastructure is still heading in the right direction, spurred on by recent global events.

Last month, the International Energy Agency revealed that the world is set to add as much renewable power in the next five years as it did in the last 20.

Almost 22 per cent of the EU’s energy came from renewable sources in 2021.

“Renewables were already expanding quickly, but the global energy crisis has kicked them into an extraordinary new phase of even faster growth as countries seek to capitalize on their energy security benefits,” explained IEA executive director Fatih Birol.

So Eurostat’s 2022 figures are sure to tell a more promising story. Here’s what we know about the EU’s energy consumption in the meantime.