As the UN Secretary-General convenes world leaders in New York, ten years of progress under the Paris Agreement is in the spotlight. With close to 100 countries signalling new climate targets and numerous countries either submitting or announcing new and updated NDCs, the message is clear: the Paris Agreement is delivering, and multilateralism is alive.
Momentum on renewables is undeniable. As it stands, more than 75 percent of NDCS include quantified targets for renewable energy deployment. This is significant, showing that governments are taking the pledge to triple renewables by 2030 seriously. Renewables are now recognised not only as a climate necessity, but as a foundation for energy security and prosperity.
The Global Renewables Alliance welcomes these commitments. NDCs are more than climate pledges, they are blueprints for economic transformation. By signalling the long-term ambition on renewables, governments provide market certainty, enabling the private sector to align strategies, mobilise investment and build a robust pipeline of projects.
At the same time, a gap remains between ambition and what is needed to align with 1.5°C. The real economy is moving ahead. Renewables already supply over 30 % of global electricity, a record high, and that momentum will only grow. Investment in renewables reached over 700 billion dollars in 2024, record investment for over 20 years.
Yet the untapped potential is even greater. EMBER estimates 92% of countries have renewable potential, more than ten times their current demand. As Kenya's President H.E. Dr. William Ruto said at the UN Climate Summit: "... endless debate continues over fossil fuel reserves, while our immense endowments in sunlight, wind and geothermal lies underutilised..."
This momentum shows that markets and industry are delivering, but the market alone will not deliver the acceleration needed. governments must now accelerate action to match. This means governments must:" Publish renewable energy plans with specific technology targets that set clear pathways for solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and storage, aligned with the tripling agenda.
- Remove the barriers that hold back deployment, including slow planning and permitting, underinvestment in transmission, and bottlenecks in grid connection.
- Maintain policy certainty and investment security by embedding renewable goals into national strategies, avoiding sudden policy changes, and providing stable frameworks for investors.
- Scale finance in emerging and developing economies. 89 percent of 2035 NDCs are conditional on finance or technical assistance. Lowering the cost of capital, scaling public investment and unlocking blended finance are essential.
- Plan for a future proof energy system by prioritising implementation of the COP29 Grids and Storage Pledge, making these solutions central to national energy strategies, so renewable energy targets translate into real-world delivery.
- Advancing action on fossil fuel phase-out, with an honest dialogue at COP to accelerate the shift.
Renewables are already the cheapest power in almost every market, driving 10 percent of global GDP growth last year and shielding consumers from fossil fuel volatility and trade insecurity. The Global Renewables Summit held this week in New York showed how governments and industry are ready to work together to scale solutions.
Claims that renewables are unreliable and uneconomic are a denial of reality, aimed solely at stalling progress. In 2024, renewables accounted for more than 90 percent of new power capacity worldwide, cutting fossil fuel costs by 460 billion dollars. The facts are clear: renewables are powering economies, creating jobs, and delivering energy security.
The task now is to turn commitments into delivery, bridge the 1.5°C gap, and ensure that renewables are scaled fairly across all regions whilst phasing out fossil fuels.
More detailed information and tracking of NDC submissions here: https://www.e3g.org/publications/ndc-3-0-energy-commitments-tracker/
Quotes
Ben Backwell, Chair of the Global Renewables Alliance, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council, said: "The renewables sector welcomes the recognition of renewable energy's crucial role in the future global economy. NDCs are much more than climate plans, they are a roadmap for delivering clean jobs, reinvigorated economies and shared global growth. As the energy transition continues to gain momentum, the noise from those that aim to slow global progress must not deter those working for a cleaner, fairer future. These roadmaps must now be backed up with concrete measures to deliver, so that countries and communities can realise the enormous benefits of renewable energy.'
Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance, said: "The renewables industry is delighted to see clear targets and sectoral plans providing market certainty, but policy must now catch up with industry. Governments must ensure their targets are specific and actionable, combined with long term energy plans, to enable industry to deliver the 3x renewables objective.
"The facts show that the renewables revolution is already delivering affordable energy - more than 90% of new renewable projects are generating power cheaper than new fossil fuel alternatives. Countries and companies who hesitate on renewables risk missing out on one of the biggest economic opportunities of this century."
Press contact
Saga Henriksdotter
Head of Communications, GRA
+46 709165417
saga@globalrenewablesalliance.org
About the Global Renewables Alliance
The Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) represents the leading international industry players and provides a unified renewable energy voice. Comprised of founding members the Global Wind Energy Council, the Global Solar Council, the International Hydropower Association, the International Geothermal Association, the Long Duration Energy Storage Council and the Green Hydrogen Organisation, the Alliance aims to increase ambition and accelerate the uptake of renewable energy across the world.
#3xRenewables.
