The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has urged world leaders to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030, warning that current progress is falling short of the targets agreed under the COP28 UAE Consensus. The call was made in a new report released on October 14, 2025, titled “Delivering on the UAE Consensus: Tracking Progress Toward Tripling Renewable Energy Capacity and Doubling Energy Efficiency by 2030.”
According to the report, the world needs to add at least 1,122 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy annually to reach a total of 11.2 terawatts (TW) by the end of the decade. However, in 2024, only 582 GW of new renewable capacity was installed—just over half of what is needed to stay on track.
IRENA stressed that the current pace of renewable deployment, coupled with slow improvements in energy efficiency, poses a serious threat to global climate and development goals. The agency noted that global energy intensity, which measures efficiency in energy use, must improve by 5 percent per year between 2025 and 2030, up from just 1 percent in 2024.
To achieve these ambitious goals, IRENA recommends investing around US$1.4 trillion annually in renewable energy development, nearly double the US$624 billion invested in 2024. Of this, about US$670 billion per year should be allocated to modernizing and expanding electricity grids, which are essential for integrating large volumes of renewable power.
The report emphasizes that scaling up renewables and efficiency measures is critical not only to limit global warming but also to strengthen energy security, create green jobs, and stabilize power systems worldwide. IRENA concluded that governments must act decisively and collaboratively to ensure that the global clean energy transition remains within reach by 2030.