The State of Climate Action Report 2025 highlights that despite record clean-energy investments, global efforts remain insufficient to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels — the central goal of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Key Findings from the Report

• Coal Use: Coal consumption touched a record high in 2024, even though its share in the overall energy mix declined significantly.
• Renewables’ Growing Share: Renewable sources generated over 50% of global electricity in the first half of 2025; However, the simultaneous increase in coal use has offset these gains.
• Temperature: The past 10 years have been the hottest on record, with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions showing no significant signs of slowing down.
• Investment Trends:
• • Growth:  Clean-energy investments in 2024 nearly doubled fossil fuel investments.
    • Global investment in new renewable projects rose 10% in early 2025 compared to the previous year.
  • Regional Variation: Despite global momentum, the US experienced a 30% drop in committed clean energy spending in the latter half of 2024.
  • IEA Assessment: The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that current clean-energy investments are insufficient to offset fossil fuel impacts or achieve Paris targets.

Acceleration Required to Meet 2030–2035 Targets

To align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal, the world must undertake drastic acceleration across all sectors:

• Coal Phase-Out: Must proceed 10× faster, retiring ~360 coal-fired plants per year and cancelling all planned projects.
• Deforestation Reduction: Needs to be 9× faster, equivalent to saving 22 football fields of forest every minute (current loss rate in 2024).
• Public Transit Expansion: Must expand 5× faster — equivalent to building at least 1,400 km (870 miles) of light rail, metro and bus lanes annually.
• Technological CO₂ Removal: Needs to scale 10× faster, equivalent to building nine large direct air capture (DAC) facilities every month.
• Climate Finance: Must increase by nearly $1 trillion annually, roughly two-thirds of public fossil fuel finance recorded in 2023.

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About the State of Climate Action Report

• Launch: 2020
• It is an annual report that tracks global progress towards achieving the Paris Agreement goals (limiting warming to 1.5°C) by 2030.
• Purpose: 
• • Tracks progress across 42 indicators in sectors such as energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture, forests, and finance.
  • Compares current progress vs. required rate to meet 2030 targets compatible with 1.5°C pathway.
• Released by: World Resources Institute (WRI) — in collaboration with:
  • ClimateWorks Foundation, and
  • Over 20 research organizations (including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Bezos Earth Fund partners).

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