Emerging Economies Lead Clean Energy Deployment, Rich Countries Lag

The global pipeline of wind and utility-scale solar projects expanded to a record 4.9 terawatts (TW) in 2025, yet the world’s wealthiest economies are no longer driving the clean energy buildout, according to a report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM).

Announced, pre-construction and in construction wind and utility-scale solar capacity grew 11% year-over-year, rising from 4.4 TW to more than 4.9 TW. But while overall momentum continues, growth is increasingly concentrated in emerging economies.

Diren Kocakuşak, Research Analyst for Global Energy Monitor, stated in a news release, “Wind and solar are scaling at breakneck speed, and much of that momentum is coming from countries once seen as energy followers. The question now is whether wealthier countries will close the gap between ambition and execution, or cede leadership in this booming growth sector.”

China alone hosts 448 GW of wind and utility-scale solar projects currently under construction — half the global total — and its combined operating wind and solar capacity surpassed 1.6 TW in 2025, triple the combined capacity of its closest peers, the United States and India. Brazil (401 GW), India (234 GW) and the Philippines (146 GW) are also among the top seven countries with prospective wind and utility-scale solar capacity.

In addition, G7 countries account for only 11% of the world’s prospective wind and utility-scale solar capacity, despite controlling roughly half of global wealth. Their combined pipeline has remained largely unchanged at about 520 gigawatts (GW) since 2023, highlighting a widening gap between climate ambition and implementation in advanced economies.

GEM’s Global Solar Power Tracker also reports nearly 900 GW of operating distributed solar capacity, which plays a crucial role in achieving the clean energy transition.

Citing International Energy Agency, the report stated that approximately 42% of existing and prospective solar capacity is distributed, underscoring its role in meeting the global pledge to triple renewables capacity by 2030 agreed at the UN COP28 climate conference. China, India and Brazil are among the top ten countries with distributed solar capacity in operation.

Uneven Expansion Despite Push

Despite pushing the deployment of utility-scale wind and solar capacity, clean energy expansion is still uneven. According to a 2024 report by International Energy Agency, renewable energy deployment through 2028 is expected to more than double in the United States, the European Union, India and Brazil, compared with the last five years.

In addition, biofuels are also showing their potential in emerging economies, led by Brazil and India, which are expected to drive 70% of global demand over the next five years in hard-to-abate sectors such as air travel and as a replacement for highly polluting fuels like diesel. The IEA report further stated that this is not happening quickly enough, with a significant increase required in demand by 2030 needed to align biofuels with a net zero pathway.