London, October 7, 2025 – Africa Live News:
In a historic global milestone, renewable energy has officially overtaken coal as the world’s largest source of electricity for the first time, according to new data released by energy think tank Ember. The shift marks a major turning point in the global transition toward cleaner, more sustainable power systems — a transition driven primarily by record growth in solar and wind energy, particularly in China.
Ember’s mid-year report reveals that in the first half of 2025, renewable power not only met the entirety of the world’s growing electricity demand but also contributed to a decline in coal and gas generation. This marks the first time in over five decades that coal has been displaced as the dominant global energy source.
“Solar and wind are now doing the heavy lifting in meeting global electricity demand,” the report stated, highlighting that the world’s renewable power generation increased by more than 10% in just six months. However, the data also show a widening gap between developing and developed economies when it comes to clean energy adoption.
China Leads the Global Clean Energy Charge
At the centre of this transformation is China, which has added more solar and wind capacity in the first half of 2025 than the rest of the world combined. The expansion of its renewable infrastructure was so extensive that the country’s fossil fuel use fell by 2%, even as overall electricity consumption continued to rise.
China’s dominance in clean energy manufacturing and deployment — from large-scale solar farms in Inner Mongolia to vast offshore wind projects in coastal provinces — has not only strengthened its energy security but also positioned it as a global leader in the fight against climate change.
“The pace of renewable energy expansion in China is extraordinary,” said Dave Jones, Global Insights Director at Ember. “It demonstrates what can be achieved when industrial policy, investment, and innovation align toward a clean energy goal.”
China’s renewable boom has also spurred a new wave of green technology exports, from photovoltaic panels to wind turbines, which are increasingly being adopted in other developing regions, including parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.
Mixed Progress in the Global Energy Transition
While developing nations like China and India are accelerating their clean energy transitions, the picture is less encouraging in wealthier economies. In India, a combination of increased solar installations and improved grid efficiency helped slow energy demand growth, leading to a reduction in coal and gas dependency. The country’s renewable output is expected to surpass that of Europe by 2027 if current trends continue.
However, in the United States and parts of Europe, fossil fuel use has risen again amid policy reversals, weak renewable output, and higher electricity demand.
The International Energy Agency (IEA), in a separate analysis, warned that political uncertainty and shifting priorities in the United States could significantly undermine global progress. The agency halved its forecast for American renewable energy growth this decade, revising it from 500 gigawatts (GW) to 250 GW by 2030.
The revision, the IEA said, reflects the rollback of clean energy incentives under the Donald Trump administration, which has pivoted toward promoting oil, gas, and coal exports. This shift comes despite global consensus on the need to reduce carbon emissions to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement.
A Divided Energy Landscape
The diverging trajectories between nations highlight the growing policy gap among the world’s largest economies. While China and India expand renewable capacity at record rates, the United States and the European Union are grappling with slower progress due to political, regulatory, and environmental challenges.
In Europe, weaker-than-expected wind and hydroelectric output during the summer forced utilities to rely more heavily on coal and gas to meet rising demand. Several European countries, including Germany and Poland, temporarily restarted coal-fired power stations that had been slated for closure.
Meanwhile, U.S. electricity consumption grew faster than renewable production, pushing utilities to increase fossil fuel generation. Analysts warn that unless policy direction changes soon, these trends could delay global carbon reduction efforts by several years.
A Symbolic Turning Point
Despite these setbacks, the symbolic significance of renewables surpassing coal cannot be overstated. For more than 50 years, coal has been the world’s single largest source of power — fueling industrial growth, economic development, and, unfortunately, much of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Ember’s findings confirm that the global electricity system is now entering a new era, one increasingly defined by clean, scalable, and decentralized power generation.
“Crossing this threshold is more than a data milestone,” the report emphasized. “It signals the irreversible momentum of the clean energy revolution. The challenge now is ensuring that all regions share in its benefits.”
Energy economists say the transition also underscores the growing economic competitiveness of renewable technologies. The cost of solar photovoltaic modules has dropped by nearly 90% over the past decade, while wind power costs have fallen by more than 60%, making renewables not only environmentally sound but financially viable.
The Road Ahead
The IEA projects that renewables could make up 45% of global electricity generation by 2030 if current growth rates continue, with solar leading the way. However, experts caution that uneven progress could hinder global decarbonisation goals.
Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA, said in a statement: “The world is finally seeing renewables take the lead, but momentum must not be lost. Governments must align policies with climate targets, invest in modern grid infrastructure, and remove barriers that slow the clean energy rollout.”
The next challenge lies in accelerating energy storage solutions and transmission networks to handle the increasing share of intermittent renewable sources. Countries with weaker infrastructure, especially in Africa and parts of Asia, will require international support and financing to keep pace.
Still, optimism remains high. The milestone achieved in early 2025 demonstrates that the global energy transition — long considered ambitious and costly — is now both technically feasible and economically inevitable.
As the report concludes, “The world has crossed a threshold that once seemed decades away. The task ahead is to ensure this transformation is equitable, sustainable, and fast enough to meet the urgency of the climate crisis.”
— Africa Live News
