In 2022, the world watched in shock as cataclysmic floods driven by melting glaciers tore through Pakistan, displacing up to a third of the country’s population and leaving essential power infrastructure in ruins.
To recover, people turned to clean energy — solar in particular. The province of Sindh rebuilt homes with solar panels on their roofs, and people ordered panels directly from China. Pakistanis were so enthusiastic about this energy source that in 2024, they added 22 gigawatts’ worth of solar power — more than Canada has ever installed.
It’s an example of how the shift to renewable energy is accelerating across the world, especially in developing countries taking advantage of falling prices for solar and wind power.
This rush comes at the same time that the U.S., the world’s largest oil producer, is doubling down on fossil fuels and trying to get more of the world to buy its carbon-emitting energy.
At COP30, the UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, last week, negotiating a roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels was unexpectedly added to the agenda after being missing from the conversation in the run-up to the summit.
Countries failed to reach a deal, but analysts say the fact it became such a big negotiating point shows there’s global momentum to move away from fossil fuels.
About 80 countries signed onto a proposal for a transition deal, including major European economies and developing countries vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.