This year, solar and wind farms generated more electricity than coal for the first time. But United States and Chinese policy shifts are slowing growth, making it unlikely that the global 2030 clean energy goals will be met, according to a report released by the International Energy Agency.
The rise in renewable energy marks a key milestone in moving away from fossil fuels, which are responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change.
Renewables made up 34.3 percent of global electricity in the first half of 2025, overtaking coal’s 33.1 percent, while gas stayed at 23 percent, according to Ember, a UK-based energy think tank.
"We are seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point," said Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember.
"Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world's growing appetite for electricity. This marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth."
While solar power surged 31 percent in early 2025, far outpacing wind, which grew 7.7 percent, coal and gas slightly declined.
Also over the past five years, solar panels have driven about 80 percent of global renewable energy growth, followed by wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal power, according to a report published Tuesday by the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Solar overtakes coal in EU's energy mix as renewables continue to rise
UN climate summit objectives
At the 2023 UN climate summit in Dubai, countries pledged to phase out fossil fuels and triple renewable capacity by 2030.
However, the IEA said on Tuesday that the world will "fall short" of reaching this target.
Last year, the Paris-based agency had forecast that the world would come close to the Dubai target with the addition of 5,500 gigawatts of renewable power.
The IEA now sees only a 4,600 GW increase by 2030 due to "policy, regulatory and market changes since October 2024."
Renewables on the rise in India and Europe
The IEA cut its forecast for the United States by nearly 50 percent due to the Trump administration’s early end to renewable tax credits and tighter regulations.
Trump called climate change "the greatest con job ever" at a UN speech last month and renewables an expensive "joke" that "don't work."
China’s shift from fixed tariffs to auctions "has shaken up the profitability of the projects" but China remains the biggest growth driver, on track to meet its 2035 wind and solar power target five years ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, India is expected to become the second-largest market for renewable energy, with capacity expected to increase 2.5 times in five years.
The IEA also raised growth forecasts for the Middle East, North Africa, and several European countries including Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain.
(with AFP)
