Emerging Markets Overtake G7 as Global Renewable Expansion Rate Halves

New York, Tuesday, 10 February 2026.
The global drive toward renewable energy hit a significant speed bump in 2025, with the growth rate for wind and solar projects falling to 11%, down sharply from 22% the previous year. This deceleration poses a serious risk to the COP28 goal of tripling capacity by 2030. In a stark geopolitical shift, G7 nations have fallen behind, now representing just 11% of the prospective project pipeline. Conversely, emerging economies are driving momentum, with China alone adding 1.5 terawatts—more than the next six countries combined. While the International Energy Agency forecasts that low-carbon sources could meet 50% of global electricity demand by the decade’s end, this relies on wealthy nations overcoming the grid bottlenecks and failed auctions that stifled progress throughout 2025. The data suggests that without immediate infrastructure investment, the 2030 climate targets may slip out of reach.