1 April 2026 6:50 pm
2025 Renewables Grew to 50% of Global Electricity

2025 Renewables Grew to 50% of Global Electricity

Apr 1, 2026

Clean energy wind turbine on a sunny, hilly landscape with clear blue skies. by ✨GüGü✨ via pexels

 

Exclusive: Renewables grew to almost 50% of global electricity capacity in 2025 after solar boost

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Summary

  • Global renewable capacity reached 5,149 GW in 2025, up 692 GW from 2024
  • Annual renewable growth rate rose to 15.5% in 2025
  • Middle East crisis underscores fossil fuel energy security risks, says La Camera
LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) – Renewable power made up almost 50% of the world’s electricity capacity last year after a record ‌increase in solar installations, data from the International Renewable Energy Agency shared exclusively with Reuters showed on Tuesday.
As the Middle Eastern conflict has led to record monthly gains on oil markets, some in industry have lobbied for more investment in fossil fuels, but ​countries with higher renewable capacity have been insulated from the market shock, some analysts say.

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“The Middle East ​crisis has, in some ways confirmed dramatically energy security is not something we can be ⁠sure of with fossil fuels,” IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera told Reuters.
Global renewable power capacity reached a record ​5,149 gigawatts at the end of 2025, up 692 GW from 2024, the data showed.
Expansive view of solar panels in a rural landscape, showcasing renewable energy.

Expansive view of solar panels in a rural landscape, showcasing renewable energy. by Osman Arabacı via pexels

SOLAR SURGE IS BIGGEST ​CONTRIBUTOR

The growth was led by a leap in solar capacity. which grew by 511 GW in 2025 to 2,392 GW, confirming its position as the world’s largest renewable source.
The figures are far greater than the 116 GW growth in fossil fuel power capacity ​and took the share of renewables in global electricity capacity to 49.4% in 2025, up from 46.3% the ​year before, the data showed.
More than 100 countries at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in 2023 agreed to triple renewable ‌energy ⁠capacity by 2030 as part of efforts to meet global climate targets and La Camera said last year’s additions mean the sector is closer to reaching the target.
“This 700 gigawatts means that we may be quite close in 2030 to the tripling target, not exactly the triple, but very close to it,” he said.
The data shows ​the annual growth rate in ​renewable capacity in 2025 ⁠rose to 15.5% compared with a growth rate of around 15.1% in 2024.
Renewable groups last year said meeting the target by 2030 would require annual growth of ​16.6% from 2025-2030.
New wind energy installations were 159 GW, taking the total installed capacity ​to 1,291 GW.
Capacity ⁠is a measure of the amount of power plants are able to produce but they often generate less than capacity if they are taken offline for reasons such as maintenance or refuelling, or in the case of renewables ⁠during low ​wind and sun periods.
Data from think tank Ember last year showed renewable ​energy sources generated more electricity than coal globally for the first time in the first half of 2025. In all, renewables provided 34% ​of global electricity.
It has yet to publish its full-year data for 2025.
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World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development 2026

World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development 2026

Mar 25, 2026

Scientist in lab coat handling samples in a research facility, focusing on sustainable practices. by ThisIsEngineering via pexels

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World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development 2026 features Omantel as an official partner

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Contributed by: Presswire

24 March, 2026

Presswire associated0

[PRESSWIRE] London, UK – 24 March, 2026 — Omantel has been named as an official partner for World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development (WED) 2026, the annual initiative highlighting the essential role that engineers and engineering plays around the world.

As a pioneer in telecommunications, Omantel plays a key role in developing inclusive and more environmentally friendly communications technology not just in Oman, but further afield.

“Technology must create real value for people and the communities it serves,” says Lujaina Al Kharusi, VP of Governance, Regulatory and Compliance at Omantel. “Engineering is fundamental to that progress, enabling stronger connectivity, smarter services and resilient digital infrastructure. Sustainable development, however, depends on how responsibly and collaboratively these capabilities are applied. As Oman advances its digital transformation in line with Vision 2040, our responsibility is to build intelligent networks that support inclusive growth and long-term economic resilience. We are proud to partner with World Engineering Day 2026 to recognise the engineers who turn innovation into meaningful impact for society.”

World Engineering Day launched in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 4 March 2026, marking the start of a year-long campaign of events, films, features and news. The focus of this year’s theme is “Smart engineering for a sustainable future through innovation and digitalisation”.

An official International Day, as proclaimed by UNESCO, WED is operated by the World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO), the global body that spans members from more than 100 countries and represents over 30 million engineers worldwide.

WED 2026 provides governments, UN-associated organisations, policymakers, educators and leaders in the public and private sectors with the opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of engineering. All campaign content will be produced by SJH Studios – the official media partner and broadcaster for WED – and hosted on the official WED website at http://www.worldengineeringday.net.

Seng-Chuan Tan, President of the WFEO, says: “World Engineering Day brings together engineers, governments, academia, industries and individuals to exchange ideas, drive innovation and take meaningful action. Collaboration is essential – we must work together to transform innovative ideas into real-world impact. When we bring together different voices, perspectives and expertise, we create stronger, more sustainable solutions.”

Ludovica Bellomaria, SJH Group Director, Operations, says: “World Engineering Day is a unique opportunity for organisations to share the best of what the industry has to offer, so we’re excited to have Omantel providing their expertise in telecommunications as an official partner.”

To view Omantel’s WED content, visit: https://worldengineeringday.net/partner/omantel/

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China Is Ready to Drive Leadership in Green Energy

China Is Ready to Drive Leadership in Green Energy

Mar 20, 2026

solar, panels, solar energy, solar panels, energy, power, generation, device, solar, solar, solar energy, solar panels, solar panels, solar panels, solar panels, solar panels by Michael_Pointner via pixabay

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China is ready to drive leadership of a low‑carbon world – by making the international rules

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Alex Lo, York St John University

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China is a leader in the electric car market.
APiguide/Shutterstock

 

 

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Donald Trump has made it clear he has no intention of playing a global leadership role in green energy or a move towards net zero.

While the US president is stepping back and Washington is deregulating its fossil fuel industry, Beijing is stepping up.

China sees an opportunity to write a green rulebook for the global low-carbon economy. And who makes the rules tends to wield a fair amount of power.

Already China dominates global green energy supply chains, from solar panels, wind turbines, grid equipment and storage systems to electric vehicles.

The US’s recent rollback puts China in a strong position to drive a further shift in where the world looks for green products that meet global standards, and what those global standards are.

China’s most likely move is to scale up a credible monitoring, reporting and verification system across heavy industry, so carbon emissions can be priced, compared and audited.

The EU has just introduced new rules to address “carbon leakage” where companies move production and pollution out of the region. This means that companies will have to purchase certificates showing how much carbon has been produced when importing goods. The UK has plans to follow suit.

Market access is being rewritten around documentation. Exporters that can document carbon content gain an edge over those that cannot. Under other EU rules, a digital “battery passport” becomes mandatory from February 2027 for EV batteries and industrial batteries above 2kWh.

While China does not control access to the European market, it can make it easier for the rest of the world to comply with EU-style requirements. It can do so by standardising the infrastructure and tools that firms need to prove they meet in order to keep selling into Europe. Once a factory is plugged into a particular compliance system, switching is costly.

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China is building huge solar farms.

 

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China can also leverage its supply chain dominance and digital infrastructure to sell traceability tools (which track which materials were used in a product), reporting templates, verification services and management platforms.

Another factor is that in the next few years firms will be expected to publish more consistent, investor-oriented sustainability and climate information, so that investors can compare climate exposure and performance across companies and countries.

From building factories to building rules

China has been strategically transforming into a clean energy superpower since the Paris agreement, where 195 countries agreed to tackle climate change. This part of China’s economy was worth US$ 2.1 trillion (£1.5 trillion), or 11.4% of GDP, in 2025.

China’s investment in renewable energy has increased from US$117 billion in 2015 to US$290 billion in 2024, which is three times that of the US.

However, these numbers do not show a simple divide between the US and China. Some US states are taking action, regardless of the Trump government’s position. US investment in renewable energy increased by 2.6 times from 2015 to 2024, slightly higher than China’s growth rate.

But the US-China divergence is most visible in each nation’s appetite for multilateral engagement. At the UN’s climate summit, COP30, in 2025, China presented itself as a global leader in renewable energy production. It does not treat renewables as just another sector, but as a core pillar of its strategy for economic growth and security. Renewables have been central to China’s economic transformation since the 2010s.

However, China has troubles of its own, so it will also be looking for new ways to boost its own weak economy. It is currently falling short its own emission reduction targets. Its solar panel industry is grappling with over-capacity and a price collapse, and regional competition with India is intensifying.

But as the US pulls back from the green economy, China can position itself as a broker of compatible green finance rules, especially for emerging markets that want capital without being trapped between competing standards, and hope that pays off.

Green rules are increasingly embedded in the global economy. Businesses and investors hate uncertainty, so any move by China to position itself as the international rule-maker for green products and green energy would position it well for the future.The Conversation

Alex Lo, Professor, Climate | Policy | Sustainability, York St John University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Conversation

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Six MENA Startups Tackling Water Scarcity Issues

Six MENA Startups Tackling Water Scarcity Issues

Mar 20, 2026

A vast arid landscape showing cracked earth, water, and sparse greenery under a clear sky. by Feyza Daştan via pexels

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Six MENA Startups Tackling Water Scarcity Through Climate Tech

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Hassan TarekCairoSCENE – 19 March 2026

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From extracting water out of thin air to deploying AI leak detection, these MENA startups are building practical solutions for one of the region’s most urgent climate risks.

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Six MENA Startups Tackling Water Scarcity Issues

Doha West Bay, Qatar

Water scarcity in the MENA region is not a distant concern. As it stands, it is a defining challenge of the region’s present and future. MENA is widely recognised as the most water-stressed region on Earth, with a vast majority of its population living in areas of high or extreme water scarcity, and 11 of the 17 most water-stressed countries globally located there.

Agriculture accounts for more than 80% of total water withdrawals in the region, far above the global average, while rapid urban and industrial growth compounds demand on limited freshwater resources. Climate change amplifies these pressures by intensifying droughts, increasing evaporation rates, and making rainfall patterns more unpredictable.

The consequences extend beyond parched landscapes: millions lack reliable access to clean water and basic sanitation, affecting health, livelihoods and economic productivity. Traditional solutions like large dams, expanded piped networks or energy-intensive desalination are costly, slow to scale, and often environmentally burdensome in a region already grappling with climate stresses.

This context has sparked a wave of entrepreneurial innovation aimed at reimagining water access, efficiency and sustainability. Startups across the MENA region are developing technologies that produce water from the atmosphere, optimise usage with real-time monitoring, and harness renewable energy to deliver and manage water more responsibly. These seven ventures are building the adaptive, technology-driven water systems that MENA’s communities, industries and ecosystems urgently need.

Kumulus Water — Tunisia

Founded in 2021 by Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid, Kumulus Water develops atmospheric water generators that produce drinking water directly from humidity in the air. The Tunisia-based startup designs decentralised units that condense, filter and mineralise water without relying on piped infrastructure, making them suited to off-grid or water-stressed environments. Its systems have been deployed in schools, businesses and public spaces, including installations at Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport. Backed by a multimillion-euro seed round, the company is expanding into wider MENA markets, positioning atmospheric water generation as a scalable complement to strained municipal systems.

Manhat — United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi–based Manhat has developed a patented water distillation technology that captures evaporated moisture from open water surfaces and condenses it into usable freshwater. Founded by Dr. Saeed Alhassan Alkhazraji and Vishnu Vijayan Pillai in 2019, it was designed to operate without conventional desalination processes or brine discharge, the system mimics aspects of the natural water cycle. The approach is particularly relevant in Gulf countries that rely heavily on energy-intensive desalination. Manhat has participated in international climate and innovation forums, reflecting growing interest in alternative freshwater production methods tailored to arid coastal regions.

SmartWTI — Jordan

Founded by Heba Asa’d and Omar Asa’d in 2021, SmartWTI, headquartered in Amman, builds IoT and AI-powered water management systems that monitor flow, pressure and leakage in real time. By combining sensors with cloud-based analytics, the startup helps municipalities, farms and institutions identify inefficiencies and reduce water loss. In Jordan — one of the most water-scarce countries globally — reducing leakage and improving allocation is as critical as increasing supply. Through pilot projects and accelerator participation, SmartWTI is working to modernise how water infrastructure is monitored and managed across the region.

WaterSec — Tunisia

WaterSec is a Tunis-based startup focused on smart water monitoring for commercial and industrial users. The company was co-founded by Ahmed Slim Bouakez, Khoubeib Tlili, Mohamed Guenbri, Zoubeir Zarrouk, and Yasmine Ben Miloud in 2021. Its IoT-enabled platform provides real-time consumption data, leak detection and performance analytics, allowing organizations to track and reduce water use. The company works with sectors such as textiles, agri-food and hospitality — industries that face mounting regulatory and environmental pressure to improve efficiency. In a country grappling with prolonged droughts, digital oversight tools like these are becoming increasingly relevant to sustainable resource management.

YY ReGen — Lebanon

Beirut-based YY ReGen integrates solar energy systems with water-efficient irrigation technologies for agricultural communities. Co-founded by Hasan Jaafar, Amer Khayyat, and Dr. Munira Khayyat in 2021, the company develops renewable-powered pumping and drip irrigation solutions aimed at reducing both diesel dependency and excessive water use. In Lebanon and across MENA, agriculture consumes the majority of freshwater resources, often through inefficient systems. By pairing energy transition with smarter irrigation, YY ReGen addresses two intersecting vulnerabilities: water scarcity and rising fuel costs.

SolarisKit — United Arab Emirates


SolarisKit, founded in 2019 by Dr. Faisal Ghani, develops solar thermal collectors engineered for high-temperature Gulf climates, enabling buildings to heat water using renewable energy instead of grid electricity or fossil fuels. While primarily an energy solution, water heating represents a significant share of household and commercial energy demand. By reducing the carbon intensity and cost of heating water, SolarisKit contributes to lowering the broader environmental footprint tied to water use in the region. The startup has received recognition in UAE innovation competitions for its decentralised clean-energy design.

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‘The world is transitioning away from fossil fuels’

‘The world is transitioning away from fossil fuels’

Mar 17, 2026

pinwheels, nature, energy, electricity, renewable, wind energy, sunset, wind farm, dusk, trees, landscape by distelAPPArath via pixabay

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‘The world is transitioning away from fossil fuels’: Gulf oil investors turn to African renewables

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FILE - An aerial view of a solar power plant in Ouarzazate, central Morocco on Feb.4, 2016.

Copyright AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar, File

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By Angela Symons with AP
Published on 

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Gulf oil money is flowing into African renewables – and the Iran war is only accelerating the trend.

Investors made wealthy by the Middle East’s abundant oil and gas increasingly are turning to Africa’s clean energy sector. They are attracted by rising electricity demand, rapid urbanisation and the continent’s growing role in global supply chains tied to critical minerals and manufacturing.

A report released last month by the Clean Air Task Force found that more than $101.9 billion (€88.8bn) had flowed into Africa’s renewable energy sector from Gulf countries by the end of 2024, led by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.

Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and state-backed companies are unlikely to scale back these renewable energy investments, despite disruptions from the Iran war, analysts say, given the strong long-term economic and strategic reasons driving such funding.

Much of the investment has been concentrated in North Africa, Southern Africa and parts of East Africa, while West Africa has attracted relatively limited funding.

“Africa remains one of the few regions where demand growth is unequivocal,” says Matthew Tilleard, chief executive of CrossBoundary Energy, a Nairobi-based firm that develops and operates renewable energy projects.

“Short-term shocks may delay individual transactions, but the biggest infrastructure opportunities require a long-term view of risk and value.”

Africa faces one of the world’s largest electricity gaps. About 600 million people across the continent still lack access to power and many more face unreliable supplies.

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FILE - Mark Munyua, CP solar's technician, examines solar panels on the roof of a company in Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 1, 2023.
FILE – Mark Munyua, CP solar’s technician, examines solar panels on the roof of a company in Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 1, 2023. AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File

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Iran war strengthens case for African renewables

Governments have increasingly turned to private investors to help finance solar, wind and hybrid power projects to expand generation capacity without overstretching public finances. That gap has created opportunities for Gulf investors looking to diversify beyond oil and gas.

“Ultimately, Gulf investments in Africa tend to be driven by pragmatic national interests and strategic returns,” says Louw Nelson, a political analyst at Oxford Economics.

“There is currently a significant amount of energy investment underway across Africa, which are long-term projects that have been years in the making, so we don’t anticipate major disruptions.”

Overseas investments in renewable energy form part of broader strategies among Middle Eastern countries to diversify their economies and adapt to a global shift toward cleaner energy.

Europe is also vying for influence in Africa’s energy sector. As part of the EU’s Global Gateway sustainable infrastructure initiative pledged €618 million in October 2025 specifically to scale up renewables in Africa.

Joab Okanda, an energy and development analyst, says the disruptions to oil and gas shipments due to the war with Iran may strengthen the case for renewable energy investment since they show how vulnerable such supply routes can be.

“These companies, many of them state-owned, hold significant capital but also understand that the world is gradually transitioning away from fossil fuels,” Okanda says. “Investing in renewable energy allows them to diversify their portfolios and position themselves for the energy systems of the future.”

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