Clean energy expected to be key area at COP29
Driven by supportive policies and favourable economics, the world’s renewable power capacity is expected to surge over the rest of this decade. According to the International Energy Agency, global additions are on course to roughly equal the current total power capacity of China, the European Union, India and the United States combined. In this vein, clean energy will yet again feature as a major focus, with several key initiatives aimed at accelerating the global energy transition.
One of the top priorities is boosting energy storage capacity, with a target to increase it sixfold by 2030, which is crucial for supporting renewable energy deployment. This includes upgrading or adding 80 million kilometres of electric grids by 2040 to handle the growing demand for electricity from clean sources.
Additionally, COP29 will focus on expanding global clean hydrogen markets and advancing technological and financial support for clean energy in developing countries, as well as scaling up investments in climate finance.
These efforts are part of a broader push to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030, a target set at COP28 but still central to discussions at COP29.