IRENA urges rapid renewable energy growth to meet 2030 targets

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has released its Renewable Capacity Statistics 2025 report, revealing a substantial increase in renewable energy capacity in 2024, reaching 4,448 GW

The year saw an additional 585 GW of renewable power, accounting for 92.5% of total capacity expansion—the highest annual growth rate on record at 15.1%.

Despite this milestone, the report highlights that current progress remains insufficient to meet the global target of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030.

To align with this objective, annual renewable expansion must accelerate to 16.6% per year, up from the current pace.

Geographic disparities in renewable energy development remain stark. Asia led global growth, with China alone contributing nearly 64% of the newly installed capacity.

Meeting Paris Agreement goals

By contrast, Central America and the Caribbean accounted for just 3.2%. The G7 nations made up 14.3% of new capacity, while the G20 was responsible for 90.3%.

Solar and wind power continued to dominate the sector, making up 96.6% of all new renewable capacity additions.

Solar energy alone expanded by 32.2%, reaching 1,865 GW, while wind power grew by 11.1%.

The report also notes a decline in non-renewable power generation in some regions, helping to reinforce the shift toward renewables.

However, IRENA stresses that more ambitious action is needed to meet the 2030 targets and the Paris Agreement commitments.

The agency has been advocating for clearer renewable energy targets in the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and is actively working with member states to enhance their implementation strategies, with a focus on the energy sector.

IRENA director-general, Francesco La Camera, said, “The continuous growth of renewables we witness each year is evidence that renewables are economically viable and readily deployable. Each year they keep breaking their own expansion records, but we also face the same challenges of great regional disparities and the ticking clock as the 2030 deadline is imminent.”

“With economic competitiveness and energy security being increasingly a major global concern today, expanding renewable power capacity at speed equals tapping into business opportunities and addressing energy security quickly and sustainably. I call on governments to leverage on the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0) as an opportunity to outline a clear blueprint of their renewable energy ambitions, and on the international community to enhance collaborations in support of the ambitions of Global South’s countries,” he added.

Commenting on the remarkable progress, the United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, said, “Renewable energy is powering down the fossil fuel age. Record-breaking growth is creating jobs, lowering energy bills and cleaning our air. Renewables renew economies. But the shift to clean energy must be faster and fairer – with all countries given the chance to fully benefit from cheap, clean renewable power.”