Global Clean Energy Transition Moves Away from Western Dominance

The global clean energy transition is advancing steadily, and many experts believe its momentum has become unstoppable. Although domestic political shifts in the United States have abruptly slowed down clean energy policy mechanisms, the international energy sector continues to move full speed ahead. Leadership in this area has shifted from Europe and North America to developing countries. Under this trend, Reuters noted: "The clean energy transition is no longer a distant promise but an unfolding reality, whose pace and scale would have been unimaginable just five years ago. It's not only advanced economies driving this shift—emerging economies are playing an increasingly prominent role."

As clean energy becomes cheaper, more reliable, and decentralized, expanding renewable and clean energy technologies has become an obvious choice for many nations. This is no longer about clean energy policy—it's basic economics. Take Pakistan, for example, one of the world's fastest-growing markets for new solar installations, where the adoption rate may be setting historical records. The country's traditional energy model relies heavily on imported fossil fuels, frequent rotating power outages are common, and citizens struggle with high energy prices. As a result, more and more households are installing rooftop solar systems with battery storage to power their homes at lower cost and with greater reliability. Pakistan is just one of many emerging economies turning to clean energy technologies, achieving low-cost, reliable, and domestically sourced energy supplies.

A recent analysis by energy research organization Ember shows that approximately two-thirds of emerging and developing economies worldwide are now leapfrogging the United States and Europe in the clean energy transition. The reasons are clear: when fuel costs are included, 91% of newly built solar and wind projects are now cheaper than even the lowest-cost fossil fuel power plants. Consequently, last year, as much as 87% of power generation investments in emerging economies and China went toward clean energy projects.

China has played a pivotal role in promoting clean energy across emerging economies globally. Through the Belt and Road Initiative and well-established trade relationships, China has become a central player in the global clean energy market. A recent report by Yale Environment 360, an environmental information platform affiliated with Yale University, stated: "Since 2018, the total volume of solar equipment imported from China into Kenya, Yemen, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania has amounted to roughly half of each country's national grid capacity." Recent U.S. policies have actually reinforced these trade ties, pushing China to build closer links with many emerging economies targeted by high American tariffs. However, to meet global climate goals, developing countries still require support in climate financing. A coalition of governments from both developed and developing nations has prepared an open letter ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, urging world leaders to act swiftly during this "decisive decade" for climate.

The statement warns: "Significant disparities in energy access and investment opportunities persist. Much more effort is needed to ensure the clean energy transition advances not only globally but also benefits the people and economies that need it most." Africa possesses one of the richest potentials for clean energy production globally, yet receives only a tiny fraction of global climate finance, despite African populations already suffering the impacts of climate change driven by emissions from industrialized nations in the Northern Hemisphere. While the clean energy transition makes strong economic sense and has reached "escape velocity" in certain areas, scientists emphasize that the pace must accelerate dramatically to avoid the worst consequences of global warming. Even as the number of clean energy projects grows internationally, efforts to expand fossil fuel development must also be curbed simultaneously.