Renewables overtake coal, but growth slows: reports
Solar and wind farms generated more electricity than coal this year for the first time ever, but U.S. and Chinese policy shifts are slowing growth, putting a global 2030 target out of reach, reports said Tuesday.
The increase in renewable energy use marks a milestone in efforts to shift away from fossil fuels, which are responsible for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
According to Ember, an energy think tank, the share of renewables in global electricity production rose to 34.3 percent in the first half of the year, while coal fell to 33.1 percent and gas maintained its share of 23 percent.
“We are seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point,” said Malgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, senior electricity analyst at Ember.
‘Solar and wind energy are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s growing demand for electricity.
“This marks the beginning of a shift where clean energy keeps pace with demand growth,” she said.
The report shows that solar power generation increased by a record 31 percent in the first six months of 2025, much faster than wind power, which grew by 7.7 percent.
Coal production fell by 0.6 percent, while global gas production fell by 0.2 percent.
At the 2023 United Nations Climate Summit in Dubai, the world pledged for the first time to transition away from fossil fuels, with countries also setting a target to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
However, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday that the world would “fail” to reach the target.
Last year, the Paris-based IEA, which advises developed countries on energy, had predicted that the world would come close to Dubai’s target with the addition of 5,500 gigawatts of renewable energy.
But the IEA now only sees a gain of 4,600 GW by 2030, or 2.6 times 2022 levels, due to “policy, regulatory and market changes since October 2024,” the renewable energy report said.
– ‘Scam’ –
The IEA cut its forecast for the United States by almost 50 percent due to President Donald Trump’s administration’s early elimination of tax credits for renewables and tighter regulatory controls on projects.
Trump, who has pushed for more oil and gas production, called climate change “the biggest scam ever” during a U.N. speech last month and claimed renewables are an expensive “joke” that “don’t work.”
Meanwhile, China’s shift from fixed tariffs for renewable energy producers to auctions has shaken project profitability and lowered growth expectations, the IEA said.
Nevertheless, China still accounts for the majority of renewable energy growth and is on track to reach its 2035 wind and solar energy target five years ahead of schedule, the report said.
While growth may be slowing in China and the United States, the IEA said there was a more positive outlook elsewhere.
– India rises –
India is on track to meet its 2030 target and become “the second largest growth market for renewable energy, with capacity increasing 2.5 times in five years.”
The IEA also increased its forecasts for the Middle East and North Africa by 25 percent.
In Europe, forecasts for Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain were also revised upwards.
Solar panels have accounted for about 80 percent of global renewable energy growth over the past five years, followed by wind, hydro, biomass and geothermal energy, according to IEA estimates.
The outlook for offshore wind has been downgraded due to policy changes in key countries, the IEA said – particularly the United States, which has sought to halt projects already under construction.
