Progress and Challenges in Renewable Energy Adoption

India and China, often criticized in the climate change discourse, have made significant strides in renewable energy development. Their advocacy for a larger carbon budget is based on their historically low GHG footprint and recent achievements in green technology adoption.

Key Achievements

• India and China led the world in renewable energy expansion in 2025.
• For the first time in 50 years, coal power generation decreased in both countries.
• China achieved massive renewable energy growth despite a fivefold increase in electricity demand compared to 2024.
• India is projected to become the second-largest renewables market within the next five years.

Global Renewable Energy Data

• Power generation from green sources increased by 71 TWh last year.
• The EU saw a more than 10% increase in fossil fuel-generated electricity in 2025 due to unstable wind conditions and drought.
• Despite some recovery in decarbonisation initiatives, EU's solar capacity additions declined for the first time in a decade.

Challenges and Considerations

• Geopolitical uncertainties, energy shocks, and a cost-of-living crisis have affected climate change initiatives, particularly in the EU.
• The US experienced a rise in heat-trapping gases in 2025, reversing progress made since 2005.

Future Requirements

• India and China need to revamp power grids and enhance energy storage systems to manage the intermittency of renewable energy.
• The Carbon Brief data empowers these countries in global climate negotiations, highlighting their progress in renewable energy adoption.
• According to the International Energy Agency, achieving clean energy goals largely depends on developed economies overcoming current barriers to climate change mitigation.