The world can close the gap to meet the globally agreed 2030 renewable energy goal, but must almost double the record 693 GW of new renewables capacity added in 2025 to about 1.2 TW a year between 2026 and 2030, says the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).

The worldwide total installed renewable power capacity at the end of 2025 was 5.15 TW, and the global target aims to triple installed renewable power capacity to 11.2 TW by 2030.

The 'Delivering on the UAE Consensus: Tracking progress toward tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030' report is the third assessment of progress towards the landmark energy goals set by the UAE Consensus at COP28.

The report shows that energy intensity improved by about 2% in 2025, which is far below the 4% needed to meet the UAE Consensus energy savings goal, Irena adds.

The report also highlights progress and opportunities alongside persistent bottlenecks in investment, grids and electrification, and urges policymakers to take bolder action ahead of COP31 to be held in Antalya, Türkiye, in November.

Specifically, it notes that investment to upgrade grids needs to more than double the 2025 levels to nearly $1-billion a year between 2026 and 2030.

The report also calls for the deployment of efficient electric technologies, and that batteries, storage and flexibility must be scaled up to meet rising demand reliably.

Countries should also combine solar, wind and storage for firm, cost-competitive, around-the-clock power.

Similarly, the report calls for countries to use digitalisation and AI to align rising electricity demand with clean supply and smarter 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,” says Irena director-general Francesco La Camera.

“Additionally, 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 that we need to move faster, electrify faster and build the systems to support it.

“This 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,” he says.

The report was released by Irena, the COP31 presidency Türkiye and the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA).

“This report shows a transition moving forward, but too unevenly. As the COP31 presidency, we are placing electrification at the heart of our agenda, because it enhances efficiency, reduces our dependence on volatile energy markets and is essential to achieving the climate goals we have already agreed,” says COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum.

“In Antalya, we will rally the world behind a new science-based goal for 35% of final energy consumption to be met by electricity by 2035. Meeting it will demand urgent focus on buildings, transport and industry, underpinned by resilient grids and finance. I invite every actor to align behind this target and bring their solutions to Antalya,” he says.

GRA chairperson Ben Backwell adds that the world is witnessing an irreversible shift toward renewable energy as the dominant growth engine of the economy.

There is momentum, and this marks the beginning of a new era in the energy transition. Recent geopolitical shocks have threatened economies worldwide and put energy security back at the top of the global agenda, he comments.

“Renewables offer us a path to safety by reducing dependence on imported fuels, creating skilled jobs and stimulating growth. Astonishing progress has been made, with more renewables added in 2025 than ever before – narrowing the gap to reaching the tripling goal, but we still have a way to go to install more capacity by 2030 than in all previous years combined.

“Governments must change gear and make renewables a national economic priority today. This means working with businesses to address barriers to renewable energy projects, through expanding grids, deploying storage and electrifying homes, transport and wider industry. The prize is stronger economies, greater energy security and better lives,” he says.

Delivering this level of deployment would mark a major structural shift in the global power system, while renewable energy deployment is already scaling at an extraordinary rate.

“The COP28 commitment to triple renewables and double energy efficiency laid out a clear path forward. Irena’s update shows that not enough progress is being made towards that goal, and that we need to accelerate our efforts and support investment in electrification, from modern grids and storage to clean, affordable and reliable electricity,” says Australia Climate Change and Energy Minister and Negotiations for COP31 president Chris Bowen.

Electrification plays a key role in meeting the UAE Consensus to double the global rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030. Crucially, with increased renewable electricity supply, electrification becomes a multiplier for decarbonisation through improved efficiency and reduced emissions intensity of energy use.

“Australia is duly working in close partnership with Türkiye to ensure COP31 is an ‘Electrification COP’,” he says.

The report shows that renewable energy is the most cost-competitive source of new electricity in most markets in 2025. Particularly, solar technology is experiencing consecutive, record-breaking installation rates to become the backbone of the global energy transition, with net average yearly capacity additions expected to double 2025 levels by 2030.

By 2030, variable renewables like solar and wind would overtake total fossil fuel capacity and account for about 62% of total installed power, up from 35% in 2025, the report shows.

Further, with battery storage costs falling by 30% between 2024 to 2025 and by 95% since 2010, energy storage is playing a pivotal role in ensuring the successful delivery of reliable, renewables-based electricity systems.

Consequently, around-the-clock, 24/7 renewables, co-located solar and storage, are moving into the mainstream, and accounted for around one-quarter of utility-scale solar commissioned globally in 2025, the report states.

Beyond 2030, further acceleration will be needed to raise global electrification to 35% by 2035, which is a roadmap currently under discussion as part of the COP31 agenda that could provide a clear benchmark for scaling up efficient, renewable-based electrification across end-use sectors, Irena says.

“Renewable energy records are being smashed year after year, as the clean energy revolution accelerates. However, we must go further and faster to clear the bottlenecks that delay the transition, drive investment to developing countries, and break our addiction to volatile fossil fuels once and for all,” says UN secretary-general António Guterres.