Guterres Urges Nations to Seize Historic Clean Energy Shift

Increased investments in solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass are crucial to reducing global dependence on coal and oil. © UNDP Georgia

With clean energy use accelerating globally, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has renewed his longstanding call for countries to transition away from fossil fuels that drive global warming.

His latest appeal follows the release of two reports on Tuesday confirming that the so-called “renewables revolution” is advancing at an unprecedented pace.

For the first time ever, renewable energy has generated more electricity than coal, according to new analysis by Ember, a global think tank focused on expediting the clean energy transition.

Energy shift underway

Solar and wind power outpaced global electricity demand growth in the first half of this year, resulting in a modest decline in coal and gas use compared to the same period in 2024.

This marks “a crucial turning point,” said Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, Senior Electricity Analyst at Ember.

“Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s increasing appetite for electricity. This marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth,” she noted in a press release.

Solar-powered success

A separate report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed that installed renewable energy capacity continues to grow and is expected to double by 2030.

Global renewable power capacity is projected to increase by 4,600 gigawatts (GW) — “roughly equivalent to adding the total power generation capacity of China, the European Union, and Japan combined,” the agency said.

The expansion is being driven largely by the rapid adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, which converts sunlight into energy. Solar PV will account for nearly 80 per cent of the projected increase, followed by wind, hydro, bioenergy, and geothermal power.

‘A better future for all’

In response to the reports, Guterres posted on social media that “the clean energy future is no longer a distant promise – it’s here.”

He urged world leaders to “seize this historic opportunity” and accelerate the global shift towards “a better future for all.”

The findings also align with the Secretary-General’s “Moment of Opportunity” report, issued in July, and reinforce the messages voiced by world leaders during his Climate Summit last month. The summit took place during the UN high-level week, ahead of the upcoming COP30 conference in Brazil this November.

However, Guterres has consistently cautioned that although progress is evident, the transition remains neither fast nor fair enough. He emphasised that efforts must intensify if the world is to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.