Enviro News Asia, Abu Dhabi — Global renewable electricity generation recorded its fastest annual growth ever in 2024, rising 9.8% from the previous year and supplying nearly one-third of the world’s electricity, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The newly released Renewable Energy Statistics 2026 showed renewable energy generated 9,836 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2024, accounting for 31.7% of global electricity production. By comparison, electricity generation from non-renewable sources increased by only 1.4% during the same period.
IRENA said the figures highlight the growing role of renewable electricity in the global energy transition. Based on the agency’s energy transition roadmap, the incoming COP31 Presidency of Türkiye has proposed raising global electrification to 35% of final energy demand by 2035. Achieving that goal would require renewables to provide 78% of global electricity generation by 2035—about 2.5 times their current share.
IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said the accelerating shift toward electrification reflects growing recognition that renewable electricity strengthens energy security, resilience, and economic competitiveness. He stressed that renewable power generation must expand at an unprecedented pace over the next decade while fossil fuels are progressively replaced across buildings, transport, and industry.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said the latest data provide strong evidence that the global clean energy transition is advancing rapidly following the agreement reached at COP30. However, he emphasized that progress remains insufficient to meet climate goals and called for the full and timely delivery of international climate finance commitments, particularly for vulnerable countries.
Regionally, Asia remained the world’s largest renewable electricity producer in 2024, generating 4,589 TWh, up 14.3% from the previous year, driven mainly by rapid expansion of solar and wind power. Europe produced 1,758 TWh, followed by North America with 1,535 TWh and South America with 1,047 TWh. The Middle East recorded the fastest regional growth rate at 17.3%, although from a smaller generation base.
IRENA also updated its global renewable energy capacity figures, reporting that annual renewable capacity additions reached a record 693 gigawatts (GW) in 2025. Total installed renewable capacity stood at 5.2 terawatts (TW) by the end of 2025, representing 49.5% of global installed electricity generation capacity. (*)
