Guterres urges countries to ‘seize this historic opportunity’ as renewable energy use grows

The latest push follows the release of two reports on Tuesday which affirmed that the so-called “renewables revolution” is accelerating at unprecedented rates.

For the first time ever, renewable energy has generated more power than coal, according to new analysis by Ember, a global think tank working to speed up the clean energy transition.

Energy shift underway

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

This represents “a crucial turning point,” according to Ember’s Senior Electricity Analyst, Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka.

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

Solar-powered success

In a separate report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed how installed renewables power continues to grow and is expected to double by 2030.

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

Growth is being led by the rapid rise of solar PV (photovoltaic) technology, which converts sunlight into energy.  It will account for around 80 per cent of the increase, followed by wind, hydro, bioenergy and geothermal.

‘A better future for all’

In response to the news, UN Secretary-General António Guterres tweeted that “the clean energy future is no longer a distant promise – it’s here.” 

He urged the international community to “seize this historic opportunity and supercharge the global shift towards a better future for all.”

The reports echo the findings of the Secretary-General’s Moment of Opportunity report, issued in July.

They also reflect messages by world leaders attending his Climate Summit held last month during high-level week as part of the lead-up to the COP30 conference in Brazil this November. 

However, the UN chief has consistently stressed that whilst progress has been made, the energy transition is not yet fast or fair enough. 

Therefore, efforts need to be stepped up if the world is to meet the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, as outlined in the Paris Agreement on climate change.