The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is exposing the vulnerabilities of global fossil fuel supply chains and strengthening the case for renewable energy as a foundation for long-term energy security, according to the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Francesco La Camera.
Speaking to UN News correspondent Jing Zhang during the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week, La Camera said the crisis was reshaping how countries understand energy security, shifting attention from traditional oil and gas reserves towards diversified, decentralised energy systems that offer greater national control.
He argued that the concentration of fossil fuel supplies and their dependence on strategic maritime routes leave countries exposed to geopolitical disruptions, with consequences that can quickly spread across global markets.
“Countries have realized that a centralized energy system based on fossil fuel doesn’t provide energy security,” he said.
According to La Camera, renewable energy offers a more resilient alternative by drawing on multiple sources and locations, with ownership distributed among different actors.
He cited Spain’s comparatively limited exposure to the current crisis and Norway’s growing adoption of electric vehicles as examples of how diversification and electrification can strengthen energy resilience.
Energy Security Accelerates the Transition
La Camera said the global shift towards renewable energy, previously driven largely by climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, is gaining additional momentum from concerns about energy security.
“We are moving toward a new energy system built primarily on renewables, complemented by the sustainable use of biomass and, above all, green hydrogen,” he said.
He noted that renewables now account for approximately 90 per cent of new power generation capacity added globally each year.
In China, solar capacity also surpassed coal-fired capacity for the first time at the end of July, reflecting the pace of investment in clean energy infrastructure.
For La Camera, the direction of the transition is increasingly established, with the central challenge now being how quickly countries can expand deployment and build the infrastructure needed to support it.
Grids Emerge as Critical Infrastructure
Beyond expanding renewable generation, La Camera emphasised the importance of developing energy systems capable of delivering reliable electricity and supporting industrial competitiveness.
He said future economic performance would increasingly depend on access to affordable electricity, energy storage and green hydrogen, which he described as the essential building blocks of the emerging energy system.
Addressing concerns about the variability of renewable sources, he pointed to IRENA research indicating that renewable energy combined with storage can provide reliable, round-the-clock electricity at a lower cost than gas or nuclear power.
He also called for greater electrification across buildings, transport and industry, warning that rising energy demand and slower-than-expected efficiency improvements could widen the gap between electricity supply and demand by 2030.
IRENA’s 35 by 35 goal, which seeks to increase electricity’s share of final energy consumption to 35 per cent by 2035, is intended to support this broader transformation.
Three Priorities for the Energy Transition
La Camera identified three areas requiring urgent attention: infrastructure, regulatory reform and workforce development.
He called for interconnected and flexible electricity grids supported by artificial intelligence and digitalisation, alongside investment in ports and other supporting infrastructure.
He also highlighted the need for fairer regulatory frameworks, arguing that continued fossil fuel subsidies can slow the growth of renewable energy.
Workforce retraining, he added, will be essential to preparing workers for the changing demands of the energy industry.
For developing countries, the transition presents additional challenges, including high financing costs and inadequate grid infrastructure. La Camera urged multilateral financial institutions to prioritise infrastructure development and grid modernisation to help address these constraints.
Summarising his message to policymakers and industry stakeholders, he stressed the urgency of improving electricity networks.
“Grid, grid, grid – interconnectivity, flexibility and balance. This is, I think, the most urgent thing to act on right now,” he said.
His remarks underscore a growing recognition that energy security is no longer defined solely by access to fuel reserves, but increasingly by the ability of countries to generate, distribute and manage reliable energy within resilient and diversified systems.