UN Chief declares fossil fuel era “flailing” as clean energy shift irreversible – Switch News

UNITED NATIONS —United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has declared the global energy shift irreversible, stating that fossil fuels are “flailing and failing” as renewable power surges ahead in cost, efficiency, and investment. In a landmark speech titled “A Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the Clean Energy Age,” United Nations Secretary-General Guterres called for an immediate and united push to accelerate the transition toward renewable energy systems. He described the current moment as a turning point not just for climate action, but for global economic and human security.

“Fossil fuels are running out of road,” United Nations Secretary-General Guterres said during remarks delivered to a global audience. “The sun is rising on a clean energy age.”

According to new figures cited by the Secretary-General, global investment in clean energy reached $2 trillion last year $800 billion more than what went to fossil fuels. Renewable energy, once costlier than coal and gas, now dominates new electricity production. Solar energy is 41% cheaper than fossil fuels. Offshore wind is 53% cheaper.

“This is not just a shift in power,” United Nations Secretary-General Guterres said. “It’s a shift in possibility.”

United Nations Secretary-General Guterres highlighted the findings of a new multi-agency report supported by the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the IMF, the OECD, and the World Bank. The report confirms that renewables now make up nearly half of installed power capacity worldwide. In 2024, almost all new electricity generation capacity added globally came from renewables.

Even countries traditionally linked to fossil fuel economies are shifting. Texas, the heart of U.S. oil production, now leads the country in renewable power generation.

“There are no embargoes on wind, no price spikes for sunlight,” United Nations Secretary-General Guterres said. “Renewables deliver real energy security and sovereignty.”

United Nations Secretary-General Guterres also warned that despite momentum, the transition remains uneven and far too slow to meet the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement. He criticized the continued dominance of fossil fuels in government subsidies, stating that they still enjoy a 9-to-1 advantage in global consumption subsidies.

Africa, which holds 60% of the world’s best solar resources, received just 2% of global clean energy investment in 2024, highlighting a severe gap in equity. Guterres called this “unacceptable” and demanded a new model of finance that prioritizes emerging markets.

“Developing countries are being locked out of the energy transition,” United Nations Secretary-General Guterres said. “Only 20% of global clean energy investment in the past decade went to emerging and developing economies outside China.”

United Nations Secretary-General Guterres outlined six priority actions, including:

1. New National Climate Plans (NDCs) that align with net-zero goals and reject new fossil fuel subsidies.
2. Grid and Storage Investment to connect the growing supply of renewable power.
3. Meeting Energy Demand Sustainably, especially amid rising electricity needs from digital technologies like AI.
4. Ensuring a Just Transition, including support for fossil fuel workers and Indigenous communities.
5. Reforming Trade and Investment Policies to boost access to clean energy technologies.
6. Unlocking Climate Finance, particularly for low-income countries and clean energy infrastructure.

United Nations Secretary-General Guterres also took aim at outdated global financial systems and credit models, which he said inflate the cost of clean energy financing for poorer nations. He urged development banks and investors to “modernize their assumptions” and adopt climate-responsible lending and rating practices.

While cautioning that the 1.5°C warming limit is “in unprecedented peril,” United Nations Secretary-General Guterres remained optimistic.

“We are in the dawn of a new energy era,” United Nations Secretary-General Guterres said. “An era where cheap, clean, abundant energy powers a world rich in economic opportunity.” United Nations Secretary-General Guterres closed with a direct appeal to world leaders, businesses, and civil society ahead of COP30 in Brazil this November.

“This is our moment of opportunity,” United Nations Secretary-General Guterres said. “It won’t happen on its own. Not fast enough. Not fair enough. But we have the tools. Let’s make the most of them.”

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