As COP30 nears, REN21 has warned that record renewable growth in 2024 — up 741 GW of global renewable power capacity worldwide — must keep pace with the world’s adaptation and energy-security needs. Without integrating renewables into national climate plans and acknowledging their role in the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), governments risk leaving economies exposed to escalating climate shocks. 

REN21’s latest brief, Renewables for Climate Adaptation and Resilience, highlights the transformative potential of renewables to strengthen resilience across economies and societies. This remains largely untapped in national and global climate agendas. 

While global energy demand continues to rise, investment remains uneven and adaptation finance lags far behind — less than USD 65 billion was mobilised globally in 2023, compared to the USD 387 billion required each year to protect economies. These crises reveal two sides of the same challenge: resilience and energy security are inseparable, and both depend on renewables. 

Key Messages: 

• Less than USD 65 billion in adaptation finance was mobilised in 2023, far below the USD 387 billion needed annually to protect economies from climate shocks. 

• 83 out of 113 countries already link renewables with adaptation in their NDCs and NAPs. 

• 72 of these countries are developing economies demonstrating their leadership in building climate resilience. 

• Decentralised and diversified renewable energy systems, that are not dependent on fuel supply, are more reliable than centralised systems before, during, and after disruptions. 

• True resilience is built on renewable energy: COP30 must include renewables in the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) indicator framework to ensure their contribution to resilience is tracked and financed. 

• Example: Uruguay’s 100% renewable electricity saves USD 500 m/year and supports 50,000 jobs, showing how renewables deliver both security and prosperity. 

Renewables are the bridge between resilience and security. They free economies from global fossil fuel dependence, shield them from price volatility, and keep communities running during climate shocks. At COP30, renewables must be recognised as essential infrastructure for adaptation, stability and prosperity.” — Rana Adib, Executive Director, REN21 

Renewables for Resilience 

Climate adaptation is now an economic imperative. Without effective adaptation, up to 23% of global GDP could be lost by 2050. Integrating renewables into adaptation strategies offers a cost-effective way to strengthen resilience across societies and economies. 

Developing countries are already taking the lead: out of 83 countries that have integrated renewables into their adaptation strategies in their Third Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), 72 are developing countries. From Tonga to Jordan and Uruguay, renewable energy powers irrigation, desalination, health systems and microgrids that sustain communities through climate shocks, without relying on fuel supply. 

Yet renewables remain largely absent from global adaptation frameworks. At COP30, countries must ensure that the final GGA indicator framework recognises the role of renewables in building resilience. This would enable tracking, scaling, and financing of renewable-based adaptation measures worldwide. 

Beyond COP30, governments should embed renewables within national adaptation governance — across policies, data systems, and investment plans — to link energy, resilience, and development agendas into a coherent strategy. 

Renewables for Energy Security 

Energy security today means more than fuel supply — it is about affordability, sovereignty, and resilience. Renewables reduce dependence on volatile fossil markets, shield economies from geopolitical shocks, and create stable, local jobs. 

In Uruguay, for example, renewables have enhanced both energy independence and industrial competitiveness, while regional cooperation through cross-border grids and supply networks strengthens stability. 

At COP30, governments must treat renewables as the foundation of a modern, secure energy system. Aligning finance, policy and institutions around renewables-based strategies will ensure that energy remains accessible, affordable, fair and equitable — delivering emissions reductions and long-term energy security. 

“Energy security and climate resilience go hand in hand. Uruguay’s transition to 100% renewable electricity avoided around USD 500 million in fossil fuel imports each year and created 50,000 jobs — proving that renewables strengthen economies while protecting societies. At COP30, we must turn this lesson into global action by aligning finance, policy, and planning around a renewable-based future.”
— Ramón Méndez Galain, President, REN21 

Download the media briefing here

Wednesday
November 12

Systems Change: Unlocking what is Needed for the new Renewable Energy Era

Organised by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and REN21
Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Location: UNFCCC Blue Zone, Global Renewables Hub

Wednesday
November 12

Driving Adaptation and Resilience with Renewables

Organised by Climate Action Network – International, Renewables Grid Initiative and REN21
Time: 16:45 – 18:00
Location: UNFCCC Blue Zone, Side Event Room 5

Thursday
November 13

Renewables for Development: Powering Energy Security, Prosperity and Resilient Economies

Organised by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, and REN21
Time: 10:30 –11:30
Location: UNFCCC Blue Zone, SDG Hub