Key facts
- The IEA said emerging and developing economies outside China are set to match advanced-economy clean capacity additions through 2031, a first.
- Those economies expanded at half the rate of advanced economies in 2020-2025, the IEA said.
- Total global onshore wind capacity is set to rise by over 70% to 2,040 GW by 2031, the IEA said.
- China's share of global renewable capacity growth would fall from over 60% in 2025 to 53% by 2031, the IEA said.
- IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said energy security, not environmental concerns, is mainly driving renewables' expansion.
The International Energy Agency said in its Renewables 2026 report, published on November 6, 2026, that global renewable capacity is expected to grow by almost 4,800 gigawatts over the 2026-2031 period. That would be 57% more than the growth recorded in the previous six years, the agency said.
The IEA attributed the faster pace to heightened focus on energy security after the Strait of Hormuz crisis and a rise in fuel prices. It said renewables have moved to the top of the policy agenda in many countries seeking to reduce exposure to imported fuels.
For the first time, emerging and developing economies outside China are set to match clean energy capacity additions in advanced economies through 2031, the agency said. Those economies expanded at half the rate of advanced economies in 2020-2025, and the IEA raised its forecast for them by almost 20% compared with its report a year earlier, citing energy security concerns, supportive policies and the growing competitiveness of wind and solar photovoltaic systems.
The IEA said total global onshore wind capacity is set to rise by over 70% to 2,040 GW by 2031. China's share of global renewable capacity growth would fall from over 60% in 2025 to 53% by 2031, while India, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East would substantially increase their contributions on strong policy support and market development, it said.
"Previously, environmental concerns were the policy priority behind the growth of renewables, whose falling costs have made them a competitive option in many markets – but today, it's mainly energy security that is driving renewables' expansion as more and more countries seek to reduce their exposure to imported fuels," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in a statement.