Renewables Are ‘Powering Prosperity’, Secretary-General Tells Energy Round Table, Calls for People-Centred Investment in Grids, End to Fossil Fuel Subsidies

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres' remarks to the Energy Transition Roundtable at the thirtieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), in Belém today:

The global energy landscape is changing at lightning speed.

Last year, 90 per cent of new power capacity came from renewables; global investment in clean energy reached $2 trillion - $800 billion more than fossil fuels; renewables are now the cheapest source of new electricity in nearly every country.

They are powering prosperity and empowering communities long left in the dark.

Every dollar invested in renewables creates three times more jobs than a dollar invested in fossil fuels - and clean energy jobs now outnumber fossil fuel jobs worldwide.

The renewables revolution is here. But we must go much faster - and ensure all nations share the benefits.

At COP28, countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner; and to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030.

The mandate is clear - now we must close the delivery gap.

And this, Excellencies, is where we are falling dangerously short. Even if new national commitments are fully implemented, the world is still heading for clearly more than 2°C of warming.

That means more floods, more heat, more suffering - everywhere.

Scientists tell us that overshooting 1.5°C is now inevitable - starting, at the latest, in the early 2030s. But how high and how long that overshoot lasts depends on the speed and scale of our actions today.

To return below 1.5°C by century's end, global emissions must fall by almost half by 2030, reach net zero by 2050 and go net negative afterwards.

So, what must we do? First, provide clarity and coherence: Align laws, policies and incentives with a just energy transition; and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies that distort markets and lock us into the past.

Second, put people and equity at the centre of the transition; support workers and communities whose livelihoods still depend on coal, oil and gas; provide training, protection and new opportunities - especially for young people and women.

Third, invest in grids, storage and efficiency. Renewables are surging, infrastructure must catch up - fast.

Fourth, meet all new electricity demand with clean power - including from the data centres driving the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. Technology must be part of the solution, not a new source of strain.

And fifth, unlock finance at scale for developing countries. Today, Africa receives 2 per cent of global [clean] energy investment. We need international cooperation to tear down barriers, cut the cost of capital and crowd in private investment.

The pathways for each country may look different, but the destination must be the same: A net-zero world, followed consistently by a net negative world - powered by renewables.

We must support developing countries to implement their commitment to transition away from fossil fuels: Through stronger cooperation, investment and technology transfer - and calibrated to different capacities and dependencies.

Let us move with speed and solidarity. Make fairness the engine of acceleration - and build economies that are clean, inclusive and resilient.

Turn climate necessity into development opportunity - everywhere.

The fossil fuel age is ending. Clean energy is rising. Let us make the transition fair, fast and final. Thank you.