Fossil Fuel Age Is Ending, Says UN Chief

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has renewed his call for a faster global shift from fossil fuels to clean energy, describing renewables as “the cheapest source of new electricity in nearly every country.”

“The fossil fuel age is ending. Clean energy is rising. Let us make the transition fair, fast, and final,” he said at the Energy Transition Roundtable in Belém, Brazil, ahead of the formal opening of the COP30 climate change conference.

The UN chief told world leaders that “the global energy landscape is changing at lightning speed.”

Green energy sources accounted for 90 per cent of new power capacity last year, while investment in them reached US$2 trillion—about US$800 billion more than in fossil fuels.

“The renewables revolution is here,” he said. “But we must go much faster—and ensure all nations share the benefits.”

Guterres urged the international community to ensure a “just, orderly, and equitable” transition from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy capacity, and double energy efficiency by the end of the decade.

However, he warned that countries are falling short. Even if new national climate action plans are fully implemented, global temperatures are still projected to rise by more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

“That means more floods, more heat, more suffering—everywhere,” he cautioned.

“To return below 1.5 degrees by century’s end, global emissions must fall by almost half by 2030, reach net zero by 2050, and go net negative afterwards.”

The Secretary-General outlined five key areas for action, beginning with a call for countries to “align laws, policies, and incentives with a just energy transition, and eliminate fossil fuel subsidies that distort markets and lock us into the past.”

He emphasized that governments must “put people and equity at the centre of the transition,” supporting workers and communities dependent on oil, coal, and gas through training and the creation of new opportunities—especially for young people and women.

“Invest in grids, storage, and efficiency. Renewables are surging, and infrastructure must catch up—fast,” he added.

As technology reshapes the global economy, Guterres noted that “technology must be part of the solution, not a new source of strain,” urging that clean energy should power all new electricity demand, including that from data centres driving the AI revolution.

Finally, he called for efforts to “unlock finance at scale for developing countries,” pointing out that Africa currently receives just two per cent of global clean energy investment.

“We must support developing countries in implementing their commitments to transition away from fossil fuels through stronger cooperation, investment, and technology transfer—calibrated to different capacities and dependencies,” he said.