Clean energy sources—including renewables and nuclear—added more to global energy supplies than any other source in 2025, marking a historic shift in the world's power mix. This milestone, detailed in six charts by Carbon Brief, represents the first time clean power has taken the top spot in annual additions, reflecting accelerating deployment of solar, wind, and other low-carbon technologies.
While the analysis does not provide specific emissions figures, the shift implies significant avoidance of carbon dioxide releases compared to a scenario where the new energy came from fossil fuels. The growing share of clean power in the global grid is a key driver in efforts to peak emissions this decade and align with Paris Agreement temperature goals.
Investment in clean energy projects reached record levels in 2025, though exact dollar amounts were not cited in the source. The expansion has spurred job growth in manufacturing and installation sectors, particularly in solar photovoltaic and offshore wind supply chains. Cost declines for solar panels and battery storage have made clean power increasingly competitive with coal and gas without subsidies.
China led the world in absolute additions of clean energy, followed by the United States and the European Union. Several developing economies, including India and Brazil, also posted strong growth. The trend supports global pledges made at COP28 to triple renewable capacity by 2030, though current deployment rates still fall short of that target.
The analysis cautions that clean power's lead in new additions does not automatically translate to a decline in overall fossil fuel use, which is still rising in absolute terms in some regions. Grid integration challenges, permitting delays, and political pushback in certain countries remain barriers to sustaining the pace of growth.