UN says global shift to renewable energy hits positive tipping point

Two new United Nations reports published on Tuesday showed the global switch to renewable energy has passed a “positive tipping point.” 

Solar and wind power are leading the way, and are set to become even cheaper and more widespread in the future. 

"The report shows how far we have come in the decades since the Paris Agreement sparked a clean energy revolution", United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in a speech at the UN headquarters in New York.

Last year, 74% of the growth in electricity generated worldwide was from wind, solar and other green sources, according to the UN's multiagency report, called "Seizing the Moment of Opportunity."

It found that 92.5% of all new electricity capacity added to the grid worldwide in 2024 came from renewables.

“The fossil fuel age is flailing and failing", Guterres said. “We are in the dawn of a new energy era. An era where cheap, clean, abundant energy powers a world rich in economic opportunity.”

“Just follow the money", the UN chief said, quoting the reports that showed green energy investments reached $2 trillion last year - about $800 billion more than investments in fossil fuels.

UN officials still warned that the transition is not happening fast enough, especially in regions like Africa.

The continent represented less than 2% of the new green energy capacity installed last year despite having great electrification needs, the reports said. UN officials blamed the high cost of capital for the Global South.

Despite booming renewables, fossil fuel production also continues to rise due to increasing energy demands. Guterres called on tech firms to power data centres completely with renewables by 2030.

"The future is being built in the clouds. It must be powered by the sun, the wind, and the promise of a better world", Guterres said.