Global renewable energy must accelerate sharply to achieve 2030 tripling target
Record solar and wind deployment in 2025 marks progress, yet annual capacity additions must nearly double to reach internationally agreed climate goals, according to IRENA's latest assessment.
Global renewable energy installations reached a historic milestone in 2025, with total capacity climbing to 5.15 terawatts. However, the International Renewable Energy Agency has warned that substantially faster deployment remains essential to fulfil the landmark commitment to triple renewable capacity by 2030.
The agency released its third progress report during Climate Week NYC, finding that whilst 693 gigawatts of new renewable power were added last year—a record achievement—the pace must accelerate dramatically. To reach the globally agreed target of 11.2 terawatts by 2030, annual additions must reach approximately 1,200 gigawatts between 2026 and 2030.
The assessment, titled “Delivering on the UAE Consensus: Tracking Progress Toward Tripling Renewable Energy Capacity and Doubling Energy Efficiency by 2030”, reveals a concerning divergence in progress across different objectives. Whilst renewable capacity expansion shows momentum, energy efficiency improvements have fallen significantly short of requirements. Global energy intensity improved by roughly 2 percent in 2025, less than half the 4 percent annual improvement needed to achieve the energy-efficiency dimension of the UAE Consensus.
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera emphasised that although the renewable energy target remains achievable, multiple obstacles demand urgent attention. He highlighted that electricity demand is rising faster than anticipated, grid infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with renewable proliferation, and energy efficiency has lagged expectations. The agency advocates for accelerated electrification alongside rapid expansion of storage capacity and grid modernisation.
The report identifies infrastructure investment as critical. Between 2026 and 2030, annual expenditure on grids and flexibility must reach nearly one trillion US dollars—more than double 2025 levels. Battery storage technology offers considerable promise, with costs declining 30 percent in the past year and 95 percent since 2010, substantially reducing the expense of renewable-based electricity systems.
By 2030, solar and wind generation will represent approximately 62 percent of global installed power capacity, overtaking fossil-fuel generation capacity entirely. This transformation requires innovative approaches to grid management and energy storage. Around-the-clock renewable systems combining solar generation with battery storage comprised roughly one quarter of utility-scale solar installations commissioned globally in 2025.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted that renewable energy milestones are being surpassed with increasing frequency, signalling an accelerating clean energy transition. Yet he cautioned that removing infrastructure bottlenecks, redirecting investment towards developing nations, and diminishing reliance on volatile fossil fuels demand intensified action.
The pathway towards 2030 necessitates expanded electrification, modernised renewable generation, advanced storage solutions and enhanced grid flexibility. Beyond this decade, further acceleration will be required to elevate electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35 percent by 2035, a target under consideration for the COP31 agenda.
Source: WAM