Energy production has never been as clean as it is today. Nearly one-third of the world’s electricity comes from the sun, wind and water. Investments in green energy now exceed those in fossil fuels, and in many regions, renewables cost less than gas. In the first half of 2025, renewable sources generated more electricity than coal for the first time in history.  

Ten years after the Paris Agreement, renewable energy is a cornerstone of national climate policies. The global deployment of solar and wind power since 2015 “has exceeded even the most optimistic projections and continues to advance exponentially”, notes a recent United Nations reportExternal link. 

The UN report emphasises that “significant political and economic obstacles remain” in the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Political uncertainty and international tensions are reshaping energy strategies. Concerns over national energy security are outweighing sustainability, as evidenced by the return of coal in Germany, the new gold rush to fossil fuels in the US and the comeback of nuclear power in some countries. 

The current pace of renewable growth is not compatible with goals to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century. The aim of tripling global renewable capacity by 2030, agreed on two years ago at the UN climate conference, is for now “just a mirage,” according to the UK-based think tank EmberExternal link, which specialises in energy and climate data analysis. 

What can we expect for the future? The evolution of renewables since the Paris Agreement helps give us an idea of what lies ahead in the coming years. 

You’ve surely noticed while walking through your city or riding through the countryside that solar panels are popping up everywhere—on rooftops, building facades, and even in more unusual places. In Switzerland alone, around 56,000 new photovoltaic systems were installed in 2024. That amounts to three times more than in 2020, according to the Federal Office of Energy. 

Excluding hydropower (which has historically been the country’s main renewable source and maintained stable  production over the long term),  Switzerland’s renewable energy growth has been striking: +433% for photovoltaics, +237% for biomass, and +55% for wind power. 

Compared to global trends, though, the growth of all renewables in Switzerland (+30% since 2015) is lagging. Driven largely by solar and wind growth, global renewable electricity production has nearly doubled (+81%) in the last ten years.  

“The decade following the Paris Agreement in 2015 saw an unprecedented acceleration in wind and solar generation growth like no other electricity technology has seen before,” Kostantsa Rangelova, an analyst at Ember, told Swissinfo. “We are now entering full lift-off,” she said. 

Solar electricity generation worldwide took 11 years to surpass the threshold of 2,000 Terawatt-hours (TWh) per year – a milestone that signals a technology’s rise from niche to major global power source. Wind took 17 years, while gas and coal took over 40 years, Rangelova explains. 

China emits the most CO₂ of any country. Yet it is also the global leader in renewable energy. Last year, it installed twice as many solar panels and wind turbinesExternal link than every other country combined. 

The United States, and especially India and Brazil, have also seen significant growth over the past decade. The major emerging economies grouped under the BRICS countries generated over half (51%) of the world’s solar electricity in 2024External link, compared to just 15% in 2015. 

Renewables bring energy independence and economic security, especially in countries that rely on fossil fuel imports like China and India, says Rangelova. 

While in the past, new power plants worldwide were mostly gas- and coal-fired, since 2015 there has been a clear shift toward renewable energy systems. Solar and wind power plants accounted for nearly 90% of new installations in 2024. 

Rangelova explains that innovation has been the key driver of the rapid rise in renewables. New materials and improved processes have steadily boosted efficiency and driven down costs. “Today, solar and wind are the cheapest sources of new electricity in most of the world,” she says. 

Renewables have overtaken fossil fuels in all regions of the world, except the Middle East. Germany, Spain, and Italy lead Europe in expanding installed capacity. 

According to Wolfram Sparber, president of the Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centres (EUREC), the growth of renewables is also linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “It has certainly increased European governments’ interest in producing their own energy through renewables and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels,” he says. 

Renewables are attracting increasing amounts of money. Global investments in the energy transition – including renewables, energy efficiency, and grid expansion – reached a record $2 trillion in 2024External link, up from $1.2 trillion in 2015. That’s nearly twice the amount invested in the fossil fuel industry, with China and Asia again leading the way. 

As a result, the share of renewables in global electricity production rose from 23% in 2015 to 32% in 2024. Today, over 60 countries generate more than half of their electricity from renewable sources. The International Energy Agency forecasts that renewables will account for 46% of the global electricity mix by 2030External link. 

Switzerland is one of the European countries with the highest share (67% in 2024), thanks mainly to hydropower. However, the contribution of solar and wind remains modest. With just 11% of electricity generated from sun and wind (compared to 28% in the EU), Switzerland ranks 22nd out of 28 European countries, according to a studyExternal link published this year by the Swiss Energy Foundation. 

Despite the upward trajectory of renewables, the transition to an energy system compatible with 1.5°C global warming – the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement – is still too slow. 

If 32% of global electricity is renewable, that still means the remaining 68% is not. Fossil fuels remain the backbone of global energy supply, including for heating buildings, powering combustion vehicles, and supporting industrial processes. The share of fossil fuels in the energy supply mix is 80%, only slightly down from 83% in 2015. 

So far, renewables have largely added to expanding overall energy production, rather than replacing fossil fuels. 

Transforming the energy supply system, which is complex and interconnected, takes time. The replacement of old infrastructure with new renewable technologies is progressing mainly in electricity generation and light transport, but remains limited in other fields, according to the authors of the UN report.  

The goal of tripling renewable capacity by 2030, adopted at the UN Conference on climate change in Dubai in 2023 and reaffirmed last year, remains far off. Since then, only about 20 countries, mostly in Europe, have set more ambitious targets, according to Ember’s analysis. 

“Tripling renewables this decade is the single most important step to align with the 1.5°C goal. However, despite the landmark commitment made in Dubai, national targets remain largely insufficient,” Rangelova says. 

The most significant slowdown is occurring in the United States, where renewable investments fell 36% in the first half of 2025 External linkcompared to the same period in 2024. The main factor is the changed political landscape. 

US President Donald Trump’s second administration has put fossil fuels back in the spotlight. There will be fewer incentives and more restrictions on renewablesExternal link, especially wind power. The United States has announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, a decision that could prompt other countries to scale back their climate commitments. 

The momentum may now come not only from Asia but also from AfricaExternal link. Increasing solar panel imports are no longer limited to South Africa, but involve around 20 countries, including Nigeria and Algeria. In September, Ethiopia inaugurated the “Millennium Dam”, the largest in Africa and among the largest in the world. It will provide electricity to millions of people. 

Switzerland is also falling short. The pace at which renewable generation capacity has been expanded is insufficient to meet net-zero emission targets, according to a 2022 government reviewExternal link. 

Permits for new large-scale plants, such as Alpine solar power stations, remain a challenge due to potential conflicts between environmental protection and energy production, the government notes. 

The new electricity law, approved last year by Swiss voters, which simplifies permit procedures for renewables, could help close the gap. Switzerland also plans to build 16 new large hydropower projects. 

Rochelle Gluzman, spokesperson for REN2, an international policy network that promotes the development of renewables worldwide, says that despite the setbacks, momentum for solar and other clean energy sources remains strong. Power grids and energy storage are becoming a priority for many countries. 

“However, protectionism, tariff escalation, and high financing costs could slow the deployment of renewables,” she tells Swissinfo. 

The industry needs clarity to make major, long-term investment decisions, says Wolfram Sparber of EUREC. Development will depend on political choices, but “I have no doubt that renewables will continue to grow globally”. 

Ten years after the Paris Agreement, renewable energy has become an indispensable pillar of the energy transition. But without political decisions that match climate goals and structural investments, they may remain an empty promise. 

Edited by Gabe Bullard/Vdv/ds