Ten years after the landmark Paris Agreement aimed to combat climate change, the global energy landscape is undergoing a significant shift. While progress remains uneven, certain trends are clear: solar power is rapidly expanding, while the role of coal is becoming increasingly complicated.
The Rise of Solar Power
The most striking development is the phenomenal growth of solar energy. Over the past three years, solar has been the dominant source of new electricity generation worldwide. This surge is largely driven by China, where massive investments have led to a glut of solar equipment – including cells, modules, and related components. The resulting oversupply has dramatically lowered prices, making solar power increasingly competitive.
This trend isn’t confined to China. We’re seeing solar panels integrated into everyday life, from apartment balconies in Germany to sprawling installations in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. Crucially, solar and onshore wind are now the most affordable options for generating new electricity. The impact is already apparent in countries like India, where over half of the electricity generation capacity now comes from solar, wind, and hydropower. This represents a significant victory in the effort to decarbonize the global energy supply.
Coal’s Uncertain Path
The story of coal is far more complex. While global coal usage is generally slowing, its future remains precarious. Coal’s dominance in powering the modern industrial economy has historically come at a steep environmental cost, making it the most polluting fossil fuel.
In developed nations, coal is in decline, including in the United States, despite past attempts to revive it. Notably, Britain, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, closed its last coal-fired power plant in 2024, a symbolic moment marking a decisive shift towards cleaner energy. In the same year, more than half of the nation’s electricity was generated from renewable sources.
However, this downward trend doesn’t tell the whole story. China, despite commitments to cleaning up its economy, continues to build new coal plants at an unprecedented rate. More than any other nation, China’s energy strategy highlights the ongoing challenges in transitioning away from fossil fuels—a potent reminder that global climate action requires multifaceted solutions and sustained political will.
The diverging paths of coal in developed and developing nations underscore the uneven nature of the energy transition and the need for targeted support to help countries decarbonize their economies.
In conclusion, the first decade following the Paris Agreement reveals both encouraging advancements and ongoing challenges. The explosive growth of solar power represents a powerful force for change, but the continued reliance on coal in certain regions underscores the need for accelerated and equitable global action to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
