NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – By the end of 2025, global renewable power capacity reached 5.15 terawatts, following another year marked by record growth. During this period, an additional 693 gigawatts of renewable capacity was added worldwide. The International Renewable Energy Agency emphasized that annual additions need to average roughly 1,200 GW until 2030. Achieving this rate is crucial to meet the global goal of installing 11.2 TW of renewable energy capacity by the decade’s end.
This objective is part of the UAE Consensus endorsed at COP28 in Dubai. Nearly 200 nations backed efforts to triple the global renewable capacity and double the pace of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. The latest evaluation measures progress against both targets using data from 2025. It was produced in collaboration with the COP31 Presidency of Türkiye and the Global Renewables Alliance, and was unveiled during Climate Week NYC.
Renewable capacity saw an increase of over 15.5% in 2025, continuing the rapid growth trend from previous years. In 2024, global additions were approximately 582 GW, rising to 693 GW in 2025. An earlier assessment estimated that around 1,122 GW needed to be added annually from 2025 to 2030. The revised figure has now increased to about 1,200 GW per year because the remaining timeframe to reach the goal has shortened.
Significant boost needed in grid investments
The assessment indicates that from 2026 through 2030, annual investments approaching $1 trillion will be necessary for electricity networks and system flexibility. In 2025, global investments in these sectors totaled around $525 billion. Moreover, about 2,500 GW of advanced renewable, storage, and large-scale electricity projects are waiting for grid connections worldwide. The report highlights transmission, distribution, battery storage, and digital systems as essential infrastructure components to support increased renewable electricity deployment.
Between 2024 and 2025, battery storage costs fell by roughly 30%, and compared with 2010 levels, costs have decreased by approximately 95%. The role of solar projects integrated with storage solutions has expanded significantly in new energy developments. In 2025, about one-quarter of utility-scale solar installations worldwide were designed to deliver continuous renewable electricity. Additionally, IRENA reported that over 90% of new utility-scale renewable projects commissioned last year produced electricity at costs below those of the cheapest new fossil-fuel alternatives.
Progress in energy efficiency remains sluggish
In 2025, global energy intensity improved by roughly 2%, falling short of the approximately 4% annual improvement needed under the UAE Consensus pathway. This goal aims to double the current average rate of global energy efficiency enhancement by 2030. The assessment attributes this slower progress to increased electrification, broader application of efficient electrical technologies, and emphasizes that faster efficiency gains depend on stronger grids, additional storage, and more adaptable electricity systems.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged for accelerated measures to address energy transition hurdles and increased investments in developing economies. IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera noted that while renewable deployment has advanced, grid development and energy efficiency improvements lag behind required levels. The global capacity target remains at 11.2 TW by 2030. With 693 GW added in 2025, last year’s growth still falls 507 GW short of the annual addition now necessary to meet the goal by 2030.