Wind turbines stand next to the Neurath coal-fired power plant on April 15, 2024, in Ingendorf, Germany. Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
For the first time, renewable energy has overtaken coal as the primary source of electricity around the world, a new report says, indicating a shift in the global reliance on environmentally harmful fossil fuels.
Renewable electricity use rose to 34.3% of global consumption in the first half of 2025, while coal’s use fell to 33.1%, the energy think tank Ember found. Renewable energies include sources like solar, wind and hydro, as opposed to fossil fuels like coal