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As organisations and businesses around the world held events to mark the day, the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) said the renewable source had emerged as “the favoured solution for large companies who need a reliable and consistent energy flow to power factories, operations and data centres”.
EWEA pointed out that companies including Google, General Motors, Apple, Amazon and BMW are using ever-increasing amounts of wind in their operations.
And it singled out Swedish furniture giant Ikea, which earlier this month announced another €500m ($560m) for investment in wind before the end of the decade.
Steve Sawyer, secretary general of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) said: “Climate change is happening faster than expected, but so is the transition to renewable energy. As businesses become increasingly aware of the progress in technology and falling costs we are seeing a rapid change in investment patterns.
"Companies like Ikea pave the way for a fossil free future and give an important example for others to follow," Sawyer added.
A joint industry statement said: "Wind energy has become fully mainstream and is today one of the fastest growing industrial sectors in the world, attracting $100bn in investment in 2014.
"This shows that wind power doesn't only make sense environmentally and socially, but it is also cost-competitive. Onshore wind power is now cheaper than conventional energy sources in an expanding number of markets worldwide."
