The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has released its 2025 edition of Renewable Energy Capacity Statistics, showing a record-breaking year for clean energy growth. In 2024, renewables accounted for an unprecedented 92.5% of global power capacity additions, with 585 GW added - representing a 15.1% expansion of renewable energy globally. This growth was powered primarily by solar energy, which contributed a massive 452 GW, followed by wind energy with 113 GW. By the end of the year, renewables made up 46% of total global installed power capacity, a major milestone in the ongoing energy transition.

However, the report warns that the pace of growth, while encouraging, is still not enough. To meet the target agreed at COP28 - tripling global renewable capacity by 2030 to reach 11 terawatts (TW) - the world must now add over 1,120 GW per year for the rest of the decade. Current trends fall significantly short of this, putting the 1.5°C climate pathway at risk. The foreword stresses that renewable energy is not only a technological imperative but also a policy and planning challenge, especially in areas like grid flexibility and the integration of variable renewables.

The growth has also been uneven. Just three regions - China, the United States, and the European Union - accounted for 83.6% of new renewable capacity in 2024. Meanwhile, Africa added only 4.2 GW, representing just 0.7% of global additions. Small island developing states, despite growing at 9.3%, still represent only 0.2% of global capacity. The disparity highlights the urgent need for increased investment, knowledge sharing, and international support to scale up renewable deployment in underrepresented regions.

While 2024 marked the largest annual gain in renewable capacity on record, the message from IRENA is clear: ambition must now translate into accelerated, coordinated action. This includes investment in transmission infrastructure, better energy planning, and ensuring that the benefits of clean energy are distributed equitably. The report serves not only as a snapshot of progress but also as a stark reminder that without faster global momentum, the opportunity to stabilize the climate may slip beyond reach.