UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged countries to “seize this historic opportunity” as new reports show renewable energy generated more power than coal for the first time ever, the United Nations (UN) announced. Two reports confirmed that the “renewables revolution” is moving faster than expected. Solar and wind power outpaced global electricity demand growth in the first half of this year, causing a small drop in coal and gas use compared to the same period in 2024. Guterres tweeted that “the clean energy future is no longer a distant promise – it’s here.” The Secretary-General called for countries to “supercharge the global shift towards a better future for all.”
The Ember think tank, which works to speed up clean energy transitions, said this represents “a crucial turning point” in global energy markets. Senior analyst Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka explained that “solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s growing appetite for electricity.” This marks the start of a shift where clean power keeps pace with demand growth rather than just adding to existing fossil fuel capacity. The change comes as countries worldwide face pressure to cut emissions and meet climate goals set in the Paris Agreement.
The International Energy Agency released separate findings showing that global renewable power capacity is expected to double by 2030. Officials revealed that capacity will increase by 4,600 gigawatts – roughly equal to adding China, the European Union, and Japan’s total power generation combined. Solar photovoltaic technology, which converts sunlight into energy, will account for about 80% of this growth. Wind, hydro, bioenergy, and geothermal power will make up the rest. The rapid rise of solar technology has surprised even experts who track energy markets.
These reports back up findings from Guterres’ “Moment of Opportunity” report issued in July and messages from world leaders at his Climate Summit last month. The summit was part of preparations for the COP30 climate conference in Brazil this November. But Guterres has warned that while progress is happening, the energy transition still isn’t fast or fair enough. Many developing countries lack access to financing and technology needed to build renewable energy systems. Rich nations continue using fossil fuels at rates that make it hard to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
