On the occasion of International Clean Energy Day, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a significant acceleration of the global energy transition, urging countries to triple renewable energy production capacity by 2030. He deemed this objective essential to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and curb the effects of climate change.
According to the UN chief, renewable energy is today “the most credible engine” of the energy transition. “In most regions of the world, they are now the most affordable new source of energy,” he emphasized. He recalled that in 2025, for the first time, global electricity production from solar, wind, and other renewable sources surpassed that of coal, marking a symbolic turning point in the history of global energy.
### Widely Recognized Economic and Social Benefits
Antonio Guterres highlighted the multiple positive impacts of clean energy, both economically and socially. Its deployment allows for widening access to electricity for millions of people still without energy, promoting healthier cooking methods, improving health and education conditions, while also creating new economic opportunities.
The transition to renewable energy is also seen as a lever for economic stability. It encourages the creation of sustainable jobs, the emergence of new industrial sectors, and a reduction in dependence on volatile energy markets, often exposed to geopolitical tensions.
Despite these advancements, the UN Secretary-General warned about the insufficient pace of the current transition. “The progress made is neither fast enough nor far enough,” he cautioned, noting that the gap between stated ambitions and their concrete implementation remains concerning.
### Persistent Barriers: Infrastructure, Costs, and Access
One of the main obstacles identified pertains to grid infrastructure. The rapid expansion of renewable production capacity is not always matched by an equivalent development of electrical networks, limiting the effective integration of these energies into existing systems.
Furthermore, the cost of capital remains a major barrier, particularly for many developing countries, which nonetheless possess rich solar and wind potential. “Too many countries remain excluded from the energy transition due to high costs and limited access to financing,” Antonio Guterres pointed out.
### Call for Collective Mobilization
In the face of these challenges, the United Nations Secretary-General called for coordinated action from all stakeholders. He urged regulators to adopt policy and regulatory frameworks that favor clean energy, simplifying permitting processes while ensuring the protection of the environment and communities.
Utilities are invited to modernize and digitize electrical grids, strengthen storage capacities, and adapt systems to ensure supply stability. The UN also emphasizes the need to diversify supply chains, particularly for critical minerals essential to the energy transition, so that their exploitation benefits producing countries and local communities.
Finally, Antonio Guterres underscored the central role of the financial sector and multilateral development banks. Their mobilization is deemed essential to reduce the cost of capital, secure investments, and attract large-scale private financing, a necessary condition to achieve the goal of tripling renewable capacities by 2030.
