Source: Government of South Africa
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has made a resounding call for the global community to “supercharge the clean energy age”, warning that the fossil fuel era is failing and that the world must seize the moment to accelerate a just, inclusive energy transition.
Delivering a special climate address titled, “A Moment of Opportunity” at the UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, Guterres urged world leaders, industries, and civil society to act decisively and collaboratively to fast-track the transition to renewable energy.
“Fossil fuels are running out of road. The sun is rising on a clean energy age. Just follow the money,” Guterres said.
He highlighted that clean energy investments in 2023 reached $2 trillion – nearly $800 billion more than fossil fuels and up almost 70% in ten years.
The address marks a critical moment ahead of COP30 [Conference of the Parties] in Brazil later this year, and comes as nations prepare to update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are key to meeting the global climate target of limiting warming to 1.5°C.
A new era of possibility
Guterres presented compelling evidence that clean energy is no longer an aspiration, but a fast-unfolding reality.
According to data released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), solar power – once four times more expensive than fossil fuels – is now 41% cheaper. Offshore wind has dropped by 53%. Over 90% of new renewables generate electricity more cheaply than the lowest-cost fossil fuel alternatives.
“This is not just a shift in power. This is a shift in possibility [and] in repairing our relationship with the climate. Already, the carbon emissions saved by solar and wind globally are almost equivalent to what the whole European Union produces in a year,” he said.
The Secretary-General stressed that the transition is not only about mitigating climate change, but also about energy security, job creation, public health, social justice and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. He said that it is about delivering clean and affordable energy to everyone, everywhere.
The Secretary-General also released a special report with the support of UN agencies and partners, the International Energy Agency, the IMF, IRENA, the OECD and the World Bank.
The report shows progress in the decade since the Paris Agreement sparked a clean energy revolution. And it highlights the vast benefits – and actions needed – to accelerate a just transition globally.
“Renewables already nearly match fossil fuels in global installed power capacity. And that’s just the beginning.
“Last year, almost all the new power capacity built came from renewables. And every continent on Earth added more renewables capacity than fossil fuels. The clean energy future is no longer a promise. It’s a fact. No government. No industry. No special interest can stop it,” Guterres said.
The Secretary General emphasised that renewables are here to stay because they are the foundation of energy security and sovereignty.
He highlighted that the greatest threat to energy security today is in fossil fuels, which leave economies and people at the mercy of price shocks, supply disruptions, and geopolitical turmoil.
The recent wars, Guterres said, have led to a global energy crisis, with oil and gas prices soaring and electricity and food bills following. In 2022, average households around the world saw energy costs jump 20%.
“Modern and competitive economies need stable, affordable energy. Renewables offer both. There are no price spikes for sunlight. No embargoes on wind. Renewables can put power – literally and figuratively – in the hands of people and governments,” he said.
Guterres also cited statistics showing that clean energy now accounts for 10% of global GDP growth and employs nearly 35 million people worldwide, outpacing fossil fuel jobs.
Even in traditional oil strongholds, like Texas in the United States, the renewable sector is surging.
“Why? Because it makes economic sense,” the Secretary-General said.
Africa: A sleeping giant of Renewable Potential
Despite Africa being home to 60% of the world’s best solar resources, it received just 2% of global clean energy investment last year. Guterres pointed out the continent’s potential to generate ten times more electricity than it needs by 2040, using only renewables.
“You can’t build a coal plant in someone’s backyard. But you can deliver solar panels to the most remote village on earth. Solar and wind can be deployed faster, cheaper and more flexibly than fossil fuels ever could.
“And while nuclear will be part of the global energy mix, it can never fill the access gaps. All of this is a game-changer for the hundreds of millions of people still living without electricity – most of them in Africa, a continent bursting with renewable potential,” he said.
He also called for urgent reform of global finance systems to unlock climate finance for the developing world, including through multilateral development bank reform, debt relief, and innovative tools like debt-for-climate swaps.
A Just Transition: No One Left Behind
The UN Secretary-General underscored that the energy transition must be just and inclusive, with strong support for fossil fuel workers, vulnerable communities, and developing nations.
He also condemned the exploitation of developing countries in the critical minerals supply chain, calling for an end to environmental destruction and human rights violations in mining regions.
“Let’s build a future that is not only green – but just. Not only fast – but fair. Not only transformative – but inclusive,” he urged.
The Secretary-General called on governments to submit new NDCs by COP30, and for the private sector, especially technology companies, to commit to powering operations with 100% renewables by 2030.
“The fossil fuel age is flailing and failing. We are in the dawn of a new energy era, an era where cheap, clean, abundant energy powers a world rich in economic opportunity.
“We have the tools to power the future for humanity. Let’s make the most of them. This is our moment of opportunity,” Guterres said. – SAnews.gov.za
