Global Renewable Power Capacity Reaches Record Levels in 2025, IRENA Report Finds

The International Renewable Energy Agency reported that 693 GW of new renewable power capacity was added globally in 2025, a record figure representing over half the total installed capacity of the United States. Despite the milestone, the world remains short of the 2030 goal of tripling renewable energy capacity to 11.2 TW, though the gap has narrowed. Fossil fuels still supply 86 percent of global energy, and experts note that rising energy demand from cooling needs and AI data centers poses ongoing challenges to reducing fossil fuel consumption.

According to a report published Monday, global installations of clean energy reached record-breaking levels in the previous year, with the head of the UN's climate body noting that economic forces have now propelled the transition away from fossil fuels beyond any likely reversal. The IRENA report was published during the United Nations General Assembly, where world leaders gathered shortly after a northern hemisphere summer in which temperatures reached record levels, bringing renewed focus to the documented consequences of human-caused climate change. Addressing the Industry Acceleration Summit, UNFCCC executive secretary Simon Stiell reported that worldwide growth in renewable energy had reduced fossil fuel spending by close to half a trillion US dollars, a figure he placed in context by noting it exceeded the combined gross domestic product of roughly three-quarters of all countries; the underlying report further found that renewables remained the lowest-cost option for new electricity capacity across most markets in 2025, while Stiell pointed to market forces as the primary driver embedding the clean energy transition, though the same document flagged a persistent gap in energy efficiency gains relative to the 2030 benchmark and put forward recommendations on grid modernisation and the deployment of solar, wind, and battery storage technologies to provide around-the-clock affordable power.

Global Renewable Power Capacity Reaches Record Levels in 2025, IRENA Report Finds

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Global Renewable Power Capacity Reaches Record Levels in 2025, IRENA Report Finds

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