This latest development follows the release on Tuesday of two reports claiming that the so-called “renewable energy revolution” is accelerating at an unprecedented pace.
For the first time, renewable energy generates more electricity than coalaccording to a new analysis from Ember, a global think tank working to accelerate the clean energy transition.
Energy change underway
Solar and wind power outpaced growth in global electricity demand in the first half of this year, causing coal and gas to decline slightly compared to the same period in 2024.
This represents “a crucial turning point”, according to Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember.
“Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the growing global appetite for electricity. This marks the start of a shift where clean energy keeps pace with growing demand.“, she said in a press release.
Residents of Vanuatu, in the southwest Pacific, install solar panels on a roof.
Solar energy success story
In a separate report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed that installed renewable energy continues to grow and is expected to double by 2030.
Global renewable energy capacity is expected to increase by 4,600 gigawatts (GW), “roughly equivalent to adding the total power generation capacity of China, the European Union and Japan”, the agency said.
Growth is driven by the rapid rise of solar photovoltaic technology, which converts sunlight into energy. This will account for around 80 percent of the increase, followed by wind, hydro, bioenergy and geothermal.
‘A a better future for all”
In response to this news, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres tweeted that “the future of clean energy is no longer a distant promise – it is here”.
He urged the international community to “seize this historic opportunity and accelerate the global transition towards a better future for all.”
Reports echo findings of Secretary-General’s report Moment of Opportunity Report, published in July.
They also reflect messages from world leaders present at his Climate Summit organized last month during the high-level week as part of the preparations for the COP30 Conference in Brazil in November.
However, the UN chief continued to emphasize that although progress has been made, the energy transition is not yet fast enough or fair enough.
Therefore, efforts must be intensified if the world is to achieve the goal of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, as stated in the report. Paris Agreement on climate change.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
