Wind Energy in Climate Change Mitigation: A Comprehensive Assessment of Emission Reduction Potential, Deployment Challenges, and Future Pathways

Abstract

Climate change driven by greenhouse gas emissions necessitates deep decarbonization of the global energy system, with wind energy emerging as a central mitigation technology. This study systematically assesses the role of wind energy in climate change mitigation by analyzing its emission reduction potential, scientific evidence, implementation barriers, and actual deployment effects. Through a mixed methods approach combining life cycle assessment synthesis, global deployment trend analysis, and a case study of the London Array offshore wind farm, the research evaluates wind energy's quantifiable carbon abatement capacity and its contribution to global carbon budget targets. The findings demonstrate that wind power achieves life cycle emissions of 32 to 70 gCO₂ e/kWh, with carbon payback periods as short as 9.8 to 14 months, significantly outperforming fossil fuel based generation. Global cumulative installed capacity exceeded 906 GW by 2022, with an average annual growth rate of 14.2 percent from 2006 to 2020. The London Array case study confirms annual emission reductions of approximately 925,000 tonnes CO₂, with 298 tonnes CO₂ reduced per GWh generated. However, technical intermittency, high upfront investment costs, ecological disturbances, policy inconsistencies, and social acceptance barriers continue to constrain large scale deployment. Under high deployment scenarios, wind energy could contribute 10 to 15 GtCO₂ e per year in emission reductions by 2050, representing 20 to 30 percent of global energy related carbon emissions. This study concludes that wind energy represents a mature, quantifiable, and scalable climate mitigation pathway, yet realizing its full potential requires continued technological innovation, stable policy frameworks, and enhanced social coordination mechanisms.