Renewable Power Adds Record 693 GW in 2025, Yet 2030 Goal Still Out of Reach

A new IRENA report shows that 693 GW of renewable power was added worldwide in 2025, the highest annual increase on record and equivalent to over half of the United States’ installed capacity. The growth narrows the gap to the COP28-set ambition of 11.2 TW by 2030, but at one outlet trajectory the world would only reach about 10.6 TW, leaving a shortfall of roughly 0.6 TW. UNFCCC executive secretary Simon Stiell said the expansion has saved nearly half a trillion dollars in fossil-fuel costs, a “decarbonisation dividend” exceeding the GDP of most nations.

Renewables remained the cheapest source of new electricity in most markets, reinforcing market-driven momentum. However, the report warns that energy-efficiency improvements are lagging and that rising demand from cooling, AI and data centres is driving higher overall energy use. Analysts from the World Resources Institute and the Energy Institute stress the need for faster electrification and grid upgrades to keep fossil-fuel consumption from outpacing renewable growth.