There may be good news on the climate front, although it is a mixed bag as usual. China broke its own records for wind and solar power installations in 2024, with solar capacity rising 45.2 percent and wind capacity growing 18 percent, according to the National Energy Administration. The country now has 886.67 GW of solar and 521 GW of wind capacity installed, thereby achieving its 2030 carbon peak target six years early. China has the world’s largest coal capacity at 1,147 GW, but, for the first time, the country’s solar and wind combined have outstripped it. By 2030, solar alone should overtake coal capacity in China, the state-owned China National Petroleum Company said in a separate briefing, Reuters reported.
By comparison, the United States has 219 GW of solar capacity installed, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association, and 152 GW of wind, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Good climate news tends to come with caveats and here is one: wind energy capacity in the United States may stall its growth or even decrease after the government ordered a freeze on federal wind installation permits.
Elsewhere in the world, Africa’s renewable energy capacity nearly doubled from 32.54 GW in 2014 to 62.10 GW in 2023, a 91 percent increase, according to IRENA. Combined renewable energy sources rose from 19.4 percent of the continent’s total capacity in 2014 to 24.3 percent in 2024.
The European Union has accelerated its shift from fossil fuels, according to the energy analyst Ember. In 2023, the EU’s fossil fuel use fell by a record 19 percent, dropping below one-third of electricity generation, while renewables hit a record 44 percent. Wind and solar produced 27 percent of electricity, with wind surpassing gas for the first time.
India’s renewable energy capacity reached a record 217.62 GW in January 2025, a milestone that reflects significant progress toward its 2030 target of 500 GW, according to Energetica India. The country installed 24.5 GW of solar and 3.4 GW of wind capacity in 2024. The country’s total installed capacity is 462 GW, more than half of which is fossil fuels including 47.4 percent coal.
South America added 18.2 GW of capacity in 2022, growing 7.4% year-on-year, surpassing North America (6.3%) and nearly matching Europe (8.8%), according to IRENA. The region, historically reliant on hydropower, is now heavily investing in wind and solar, with Latin America adding 22 GW in 2022, according to Bloomberg NEF. As the UN Climate Summit reports, Latin America’s renewable energy surge is a ‘startling success.’
Is any of that enough to meet global targets by 2030? Almost, and it might be possible with focused government action, the International Energy Agency reports.
Globally, 70 countries that represent 80 percent of global renewable capacity, are on track to meet or exceed their 2030 targets. While global capacity is forecasted to reach 2.7 times its 2022 level by 2030, the COP28 goal to triple capacity remains achievable with immediate government action, according to the IEA.
