The world is entering the final phase of the fossil fuel era, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA). The global energy watchdog said that renewable energy will grow faster than any other source over the next decade, making the shift to clean power “inevitable”, even with political pushback in the US and parts of Europe.
The IEA’s flagship annual report predicts that in the next five years, the world will build more renewable energy projects than in the past 40 years combined. This growth in renewable energy will meet almost all of the world’s increasing electricity needs. Global demand is set to rise by 40% in the next decade, fueled by electric vehicles, air conditioning, heating, and AI data centers.
The report also highlights a nuclear power revival, especially as tech giants look for steady, low-carbon electricity to run their massive data centers. Global investment in data centers could reach $580 billion in 2025, surpassing spending on oil supply for the first time.
Despite political resistance, including Donald Trump’s calls to expand oil and gas drilling, the IEA says the rise of renewables will make the fossil fuel phase-out unstoppable. Campaigners and climate experts are urging leaders at the upcoming UN COP30 climate summit in Brazil to accelerate a global move away from fossil fuels and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030, a target set at last year’s COP28 in Dubai.
The IEA noted that some US policymakers pressured it to present a more favorable view of fossil fuels in this report. Still, all the agency’s scenarios showed renewables outperforming every other energy source, led by cheap solar power growth in Asia and the Middle East.
However, Trump’s decision to cut back on renewable energy support means the US will have 30% less solar power by 2035 compared to earlier forecasts. Globally, though, the renewables boom continues.
Experts say this clean energy revolution is already visible. Electric vehicle sales are rising fast, and solar power is spreading even in traditional oil-producing regions. Many countries hit by the energy crisis are now switching to renewables to reduce dependence on expensive fossil fuels.
Mariana Paoli from Christian Aid urged rich countries to stop funding fossil fuel projects and invest more in climate-friendly infrastructure. “The fossil fuel era is ending,” she said. “But governments must act faster to build the clean energy systems that will replace it.”
The IEA’s message is clear: the future belongs to renewables, and the nations that embrace clean energy early will gain the most.
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