World Adds Record Renewable Capacity In 2025

The world added a record 692 gigawatts (GW) of renewable power capacity in 2025, a 15.5% increase from the previous year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Global renewable power capacity reached a record annual increase in 2025, led by continued expansion of solar and wind power.

The new capacity brought total global renewable power capacity to about 5,149 GW at the end of 2025.

Renewable sources accounted for 85.6% of all new power capacity added during the year, IRENA said.

Despite the record expansion, IRENA says the world needs to accelerate deployment substantially to reach the global goal of tripling renewable power capacity to 11.2 terawatts by 2030.

The agency's tracking work indicates that renewable capacity needs to grow at roughly 16.6% annually to remain on the required trajectory.

The 11.2-terawatt target is part of the UAE Consensus adopted at COP28, where countries agreed to contribute to efforts to triple global renewable-energy capacity and double the global average annual rate of energy-efficiency improvements by 2030.

Asia remains the largest regional center for renewable capacity.

IRENA's latest statistics show that the region accounted for the majority of global renewable capacity additions and holds the largest share of installed renewable capacity.

IRENA has said the rapid expansion of renewable energy can strengthen energy security and reduce exposure to volatile fossil-fuel prices.

The agency has also stressed that investment in grids, storage and other infrastructure must increase alongside renewable generation.