Beyond Paris: The Road Ahead for Clean Energy

In December 2015, the world witnessed a historic moment as 195 parties came together to adopt the Paris Agreement, a legally binding framework to combat climate change and build a sustainable future. Fast forward to 2025, and the momentum for climate solutions has never been stronger. Critical progress has also been made throughout the decade, with over 300 million people gaining access to clean energy, setting the tracks for the 600 million who still don’t.

The UN Decade for Sustainable Energy was recently extended to 2030, reinforcing global commitments to universal energy access and a just energy transition. While this signifies that the journey is far from over, it also gives the energy development sector important momentum to continue its contribution to reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement was a Catalyst for Change

The Paris Agreement marked a turning point in global climate action. It provided a flexible yet powerful and binding framework for countries to reduce emissions, adapt to climate impacts and collaborate on solutions. Over the past ten years, this agreement has sparked significant momentum in the clean energy transition. In just ten years, clean energy grew from a few hundred billion dollars a year to trillions annually. Investments are now larger than fossil fuels and growing faster — with total investment over the decade roughly equaling the EU’s entire economy for one year.

Renewables are no longer an add-on to the energy system. They now power city bus fleets and delivery networks, heat homes through electric heat pumps, anchor national power grids, and supply heavy industry and data centers, making them the backbone of the global energy economy.

Progress, But Not Victory

The past decade made clear that climate change is already reshaping the planet. Between 2015 and 2025, the world experienced its 11 warmest years on record. Yet thanks to the Paris Agreement and rapid clean-energy deployment, the world has avoided a trajectory of more than 4°C of warming. Today, projections point closer to 2.5°C, and although short of the 1.5°C threshold needed to avoid the worst impacts, every fraction of a degree matters, and moving from 4°C toward 2.5°C has already spared the world from its worst-case future.

2026: The Era of Implementation

As António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, emphasized, 2026 must kickstart a new decade of implementation. Here’s what this means for the energy sector:

1. Scaling Renewable Energy: The clean energy transition must accelerate. At COP28, global leaders committed to tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030. This ambitious target requires doubling the annual rate of renewable installations, with a focus on solar, wind and battery storage.
2. Energy Access and Equity: A just energy transition is essential. Developing countries must have access to the finance and technology needed to accelerate their clean energy transition. Initiatives like SEforALL’s Mission 300, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, are critical to achieving this goal.
3. Innovation and Technology: The integration of artificial intelligence and green hydrogen will play a pivotal role in optimizing energy systems and decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like steel and cement.
4. Policy and Cooperation: Governments must prioritize forward-thinking policies that foster investment in clean energy. International cooperation is more important than ever to ensure that no one is left behind in the energy transition.
5. Climate Finance: The financial gap must be bridged. Developed nations need to fulfill their commitments to climate finance and offer affordable loans, enabling emerging economies to build resilient and sustainable energy systems.

The Road Ahead

The Paris Agreement has shown that global unity and ambition can drive change However, as we enter this new phase of implementation, the stakes are higher than ever. This means not only accelerating the deployment of clean energy but also addressing the systemic barriers that hinder progress.

The next decade is a critical window of opportunity. By embracing innovation, fostering collaboration and prioritizing equity, we can build a sustainable future for all. The Paris Agreement was a bold step forward — now it’s time to turn ambition into action.