With 5.15 TW of renewable power capacity installed globally at the end of 2025, the world can still close the gap to meet the agreed renewable energy goal, but deployment must accelerate significantly.
To meet the global target of tripling renewable capacity to 11.2 TW by 2030, installed capacity must more than double from current levels. Despite a record 693 GW of new renewable power added in 2025, the annual growth rate would need to average 1,200 GW between 2026 and 2030.
Released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the COP31 Presidency Türkiye and the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) during Climate Week NYC, Delivering on the UAE Consensus: Tracking progress toward tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 is the third assessment of progress towards the energy goals set by the UAE Consensus at COP28.
The report also shows that energy intensity improved by around 2% in 2025, well below the 4% needed to meet the UAE Consensus energy-savings goal.
It highlights progress and opportunities alongside persistent bottlenecks in investment, grids and electrification, and identifies four areas requiring greater attention ahead of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye:
- Upgrade grids: Invest nearly US$1 trillion annually between 2026 and 2030, more than double 2025 levels.
- Deploy efficient electric technologies: Scale batteries, storage and flexibility to meet rising demand reliably.
- Boost 24/7 renewables: Combine solar, wind and storage to provide firm, cost-competitive, around-the-clock power.
- Harness artificial intelligence: Use digitalisation and AI to align rising electricity demand with clean supply and improve system operations.
“Renewables can still close the gap towards 2030, but energy efficiency is falling behind, electricity demand is rising faster than expected, and the grid infrastructure has failed to keep pace with renewables deployment,” said Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA.
“With signs that capacity expansion could also slow, we need a reality check on our ambition towards 1.5°C. IRENA’s revised roadmap makes it clear: we need to move faster, electrify faster and build the systems to support it. That means rapidly scaling and modernising renewable generation, grids, storage and flexibility. Electrification with renewables is one of the most powerful policy levers to accelerate and drive further action.”
Ben Backwell, Chair of the Global Renewables Alliance, said more renewable capacity was added in 2025 than ever before, narrowing the gap to the tripling target. However, more capacity must now be installed by 2030 than in all previous years combined.
Delivering this level of deployment would mark a major structural change in the global power system, although renewable energy deployment is already scaling at an unprecedented rate.
Renewables were the most cost-competitive source of new electricity in most markets in 2025, according to the report. Solar in particular continued to record strong installation growth, with net average annual capacity additions expected to double 2025 levels by 2030.
By 2030, variable renewables such as solar and wind are expected to overtake total fossil-fuel capacity and account for around 62% of total installed power capacity, up from 35% in 2025.
Battery storage costs fell by 30% between 2024 and 2025 and by 95% since 2010, strengthening storage's role in developing reliable renewables-based electricity systems.
Around-the-clock renewable projects combining solar and storage are also moving into the mainstream, with co-located solar and storage accounting for around a quarter of utility-scale solar commissioned globally in 2025.
Electrification plays a key role in meeting the UAE Consensus goal of doubling the global rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030. As renewable electricity supply increases, electrification can contribute to decarbonisation through improved efficiency and reduced emissions intensity of energy use.
Looking beyond 2030, further acceleration will be required to raise global electrification to 35% by 2035. A roadmap currently under discussion for the COP31 agenda could provide a benchmark for scaling renewable-based electrification across buildings, transport and industry.
