The given graph illustrates the proportion of renewable energy used as part of the total energy consumption in six different countries over the period from 1971 to 2011
Overall, the use of green energy increased in all six countries except for Finland, with Finland and Denmark generally recording the highest percentages. In contrast, the United Kingdom and Germany remained the lowest in most years of the timespan.
At the beginning of the period in 1971, Finland had the highest renewable energy usage at around 24%, followed by Denmark (approximately 14%) and France (just under 10%). Meanwhile, Germany and the United States both started at less than 5%, and the United Kingdom had the lowest figure, nearly 0%.
Over the following decades, Denmark saw notable fluctuations but generally experienced a rise, reaching close to 20% by the end of period. By contrast, Finland followed a relatively stable downward trend, ending at just under 25% in 2011. France’s renewable energy usage remained more stable, hovering around 8-15% throughout, showing only a modest increase.
Regarding the other nations, Germany showed a steady and significant rise from a bottom of around 4% in 1986, reaching approximately 15% by 2011. The United Kingdom showed slower growth, with the UK’s renewable energy usage staying below 5% until the late 1990s and eventually rising slightly above 5% by the end of the period, while that in the United States grew more pronouncedly to a high of approximately 18% in 2011.