The world passed a significant turning point in 2025 as clean power generation rose faster than global demand for electricity, preventing an increase in fossil fuel generation, according to the study by London-based energy think tank Ember released on Tuesday.
Global clean power generation soared by 887 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025, while overall demand for electricity increased by 849 TWh, Ember found in its annual global electricity review.
The shift also meant that renewables accounted for 34 per cent of the world’s total electricity generation last year, overtaking coal’s 33 per cent share for the first time in a century, the report said.
Global coal generation fell for the first time since 2020, marking the first time the carbon-intensive fuel has dropped below one-third of total global generation, it added.
“We have firmly entered the era of clean growth,” said Aditya Lolla, Ember’s interim managing director. “Clean energy is now scaling fast enough to absorb rising global electricity demand, keeping fossil generation flat before its inevitable decline. The momentum we are seeing is no longer just an ambition; it is becoming a structural reality.”
The global pivot towards clean electricity is largely being propelled by developments in China and India, the report noted.
