REN21 Responds to WMO State of the Global Climate Report

REN21 calls for an urgent shift to renewable energy as the Earth’s climate system is thrown increasingly “out of balance”.  

The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Global Climate 2025 report shows that the planet is now accumulating more energy than it releases, a growing imbalance driven by rising greenhouse gas emissions. This excess energy is heating the oceans, melting ice and intensifying climate impacts across the globe. 

Renewable energy offers the most immediate and effective pathway to reduce emissions and help rebalance the climate system. 

The report confirms that the last decade, 2015–2025, is the warmest on record, with 2025 reaching around 1.43°C above pre-industrial levels — bringing the world closer to the 1.5°C threshold associated with escalating and potentially irreversible impacts. 

At the same time, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have reached their highest levels in at least 2 million years, largely driven by continued fossil fuel use (WMO, 2026). 

“The climate system is way out of balance. What we are witnessing is a build-up of energy in the system that is driving deeper and more frequent shocks to economies and societies,” said Rana Adib, Executive Director of REN21. 

“The response must match the scale of the crisis. This requires an urgent shift to renewables-based economies that deliver prosperous, resilient and secure societies. It means phasing out fossil fuels and scaling renewables across all sectors — now,” Adib added. “The solutions exist. What is missing is speed, scale and equity in implementation.” 

These impacts are already disrupting core systems— driving food insecurity, displacement, health risks and ecosystem degradation — with cascading effects on economies, stability and livelihoods. 

Yet the energy transition remains too slow and uneven to respond to these growing risks. Renewables account for just 13.5% of global final energy consumption, while fossil fuels still dominate at 79.5%. Investment reached USD 728 billion in 2024 — far below what is needed. Structural barriers, including high cost of capital in low-income countries and underinvestment in grids and storage, continue to delay progress where it is most needed. 

Even in a context of temperature overshoot — where global temperatures temporarily exceed 1.5°C before being brought back down — accelerating renewables is critical. Renewable energy systems can reduce exposure to shocks, especially when combined with electrification, efficiency and integrated energy system planning, while providing reliable, decentralised access to energy and supporting essential services, from healthcare to food systems, and reducing the drivers of further warming. 

REN21 stresses that scaling renewables is not only essential to cut emissions, but to build more secure, resilient and equitable economies in an increasingly unstable world.