Renewable Energy

Renewable energy comes from sources that are naturally replenished, such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass. Solar and wind are abundant but variable; hydropower and tidal energy are reliable and predictable; geothermal works well in regions with accessible underground heat; and biomass converts organic materials or waste into usable fuel. Each technology has strengths and limitations, so a mix of all of them will be needed to reach net zero. Together, these sources can provide sustainable, long‑term energy without running out.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that annual spending on clean energy needs to triple to US$4 trillion by 2030 to achieve net zero by 2050. Wind and solar additions need to quadruple. Over the past decade, renewable energy portfolios have outperformed and proven more resilient than fossil fuels due to technological gains, supportive policy, and long-term power purchase contracts that stabilise revenues.

Energy systems are becoming increasingly vulnerable as geopolitical tensions, hybrid warfare, and extreme weather intensify, putting energy security back in focus alongside affordability and sustainability - this is known as the “energy trilemma.” Electricity networks are now critical weak points because modern societies depend on uninterrupted power. Building resilience requires decentralising generation to avoid single points of failure, diversifying the energy mix so different renewable sources balance each other’s variability, and expanding renewables to reduce exposure to volatile global supply chains, since once installed they operate independently of fuel‑market disruptions.

Integrating renewables into power systems requires redesigning grids built for controllable fossil plants, since variable solar and wind must be balanced through storage, flexible demand, diversified generation, and expanded transmission. Combining large utility‑scale projects with distributed resources like rooftop and community solar strengthens resilience, reduces losses, and avoids single points of failure, while market reforms that reward flexibility help operators manage challenges such as curtailment and the evening “duck curve”.

Government spending on fossil fuel reliant industries still outpaces investment in renewable energy, despite the fact that investing in solar photovoltaic equipment manufacturing creates 1.5 times as many jobs as in fossil fuels production, and 1.2 times for wind power. Unless the transition is deliberately just, workers and regions tied to fossil fuels will be left behind, making retraining and targeted support essential.

Many renewable energy projects around the world still violate Indigenous Peoples’ rights, especially when developers ignore Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). International law recognises FPIC, but enforcement is weak, leading to land conflicts, displacement, and unequal benefits. Some countries are strengthening protections through corporate human‑rights due‑diligence laws, and future legislation could go further by explicitly requiring FPIC, widening who is protected and creating stronger accountability. Respecting FPIC would reduce conflict, support fair decision‑making and ensure Indigenous and local communities share in the benefits of the renewable transition.

Energy choices carry profound ethical consequences for people and the planet, yet they’ve historically been made with little ethical scrutiny. A new applied‑ethics framework urges decision‑makers to centre the perspectives of affected communities and evaluate options through multiple ethical lenses (including virtue ethics, deontology, consequentialism and Lakota and Navajo traditions) demonstrated through cases such as pipelines, coal transitions, fracking, uranium mining, and dam building, with a two‑step process that prioritises local ethics first and then selects the most relevant principles for guiding action.

The climate and biodiversity crises are deeply linked, and renewable energy expansion, while essential for decarbonisation, can compete with land needed for wildlife. Wind, solar, and mining for transition minerals can overlap with species‑rich areas, cause habitat loss or increase bird mortality, though some projects, like offshore wind, can also create de facto protected zones. Global mapping shows that most regions have lower‑than‑expected overlap between priority areas for renewables and biodiversity, with a few regional hotspots. With strong policy and regulatory safeguards, it is possible to scale renewables while protecting nature.

The shift from fossil fuels to renewables depends on huge quantities of critical minerals like copper, lithium, nickel, and cobalt, but mining and processing them can cause major environmental damage, high emissions, and serious social harms, including violations of Indigenous rights. Meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement will require more than three billion tonnes of these minerals, and if supply chains are poorly managed, the transition could become slower, more expensive, and more unequal.

Global renewable power capacity must triple to more than 11,000 GW by 2030, with solar and wind delivering most new additions. Achieving this requires not only deployment policies but deep structural change: reshaping power‑sector institutions, strengthening supply chains, modernising grids, expanding cross‑border cooperation, and investing heavily in skills, inclusion and just‑transition measures. Developing countries need faster renewable growth and far more affordable finance, with annual investment rising to US$1.3 trillion and global financial systems reformed to support the Global South. Strong international collaboration is essential to scale renewables while protecting people and nature, in line with SDG 7.