Get Behind Renewable Energy for Earth Day 2025
The centre of the Earth is the same temperature as the sun – a boiling 6000°C. Yet on the surface, the planet we call home is bursting with over 8 million types of life. On 22 April, we celebrate Earth Day, an occasion to honour our incredible planet.
The theme for Earth Day 2025 is Our Power, Our Planet. It’s all about the importance of renewable energy. Solar, hydro, wind and geothermal power are cleaner alternatives to burning fossil fuels, and many countries have already made the switch.
Renewable Energy Facts to Know
Why do we call it renewable energy? Because it comes from natural sources that are constantly regenerating. These energy sources will never run out. For example, solar power comes from the sun, which is always burning. Renewable energy is also called clean energy because you can produce it without burning fossil fuels that create air pollution and contribute to climate change.
Types of Renewable Energy
- Solar power – converts sunlight into electricity using photovoltaic technology.
- Wind energy – uses the force of moving air to rotate turbines and generate electricity.
- Hydropower – turbines built into dam walls convert the force of moving water into electricity.
- Geothermal energy – uses heat from underground to power steam turbines and generate electricity.
- Biogas – the natural gas that bacteria release while feeding on organic matter can be used as a fuel source.
Renewable Energy vs Fossil Fuels
The energy sector is the largest producer of greenhouse gases (75% of all GHG emissions) thanks to its enduring reliance on fossil fuels. According to the Global Carbon Budget, burning coal, oil and natural gas released 35 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere in 2023 alone. In contrast, generating electricity from renewable sources produces little to no greenhouse gases at all.
Renewable Energy for Cleaner Air
Data from the State of Global Air report shows that air pollution now causes more early deaths than tobacco. Electricity generation from fossil fuels is one of the major culprits. Coal power plants release fine particulate matter into the air that gets into your lungs. This can cause chronic breathing and heart problems that are often fatal to children under five. Renewable energy is thus a much safer option for human health.
Is Renewable Energy Reliable?
The sun isn’t always shining and the wind isn’t always blowing, so how can solar and wind energy be reliable? While it’s true that the supply will fluctuate with the weather, data shows that it is still enough to power large grids without interruption.
In 2022, South Australia set a world record for producing 146% of its electricity demand from wind energy alone. Germany is another example – the country gets over 50% of its electricity from renewable energy, yet the grid remains one of the most reliable in the world.
Renewable Energy in South Africa
South Africa is in the midst of a renewable energy boom largely driven by loadshedding, which hit an all-time high in 2023. Today, the country gets 16% of its electricity from renewable sources, mainly solar (11%) and wind (5%) energy.
However, we are still not using renewable energy to its full potential. Much of the best locations for solar and wind power are not adequately connected to the national electricity grid. Eskom’s Transmission Development Plan and the recently announced Independent Transmission Programme (ITP) aim to change that.
These policies have opened the door for private investors to help expand our electricity grid to bring renewable energy from remote areas to urban ones. The goal is to install 5043 km of additional power lines by the end of 2029 and 210 new transformers by 2034.
Share Renewable Energy Knowledge for Earth Day
The first step to any great transformation in society is raising awareness. Climate education has always been a foundational pillar of the work EarthDay.org does around the world. This Earth Day, we encourage you to share what you know about renewable energy in support of the Our Power, Our Planet movement.
Educators can sign up as an Earth Day school to receive free lesson plans and tool kits to teach children about this year’s theme. Earthday.org also makes its entire educational resource library available online for teachers, parents, and faith leaders to download and use for free.
Social Media Resources for Earth Day 2025
You can also support Earth Day 2025 by raising awareness online. Anyone can share news stories, fun facts, quizzes and videos on social media to join the renewable energy conversation. Find some free resources to use below. Remember to tag your posts with #RenewableEnergyNow.
Videos
Petitions:
- Renewable energy petition to global leaders. This petition will be presented at the United Nations COP 30 meeting in November 2025
Quizzes
You can also join the official Earth Day social squad to receive weekly resources from EarthDay.org that you can share on social media to raise awareness all year round.
Host an Earth Day Event With eWASA
Businesses, schools and community groups can take things a step further this Earth Day by hosting an in-person event. This might be a beach clean-up, a tree planting ceremony, a thrift drive, a nature walk or anything that gets people talking about the environment.
No matter what kind of event you’re planning, eWASA would love to help. Contact us by latest 11 April 2025 to find recyclers and environmental partners for your project. Remember to register your event online to make it easier for participants to find.
