Global solar boom: A beacon of climate-depression mitigation

A remarkable ‘super-boom’ is happening in the global solar power sector, replacing previous pessimism about climate change with renewed hope. This technological and marketing revolution provides an important and positive backdrop for the upcoming COP30 climate conference.

Progress beyond expectations:

Globally installed solar capacity has surpassed 2010 analysts’ predictions for 2035 by more than four times, running faster than expected.

Warming reduction: Thanks to this progress, the risk of global warming has dropped from a predicted 4°C to 2.6°C. This is considered a milestone in moving towards the Paris Agreement targets.

Dichotomous trajectory: Challenges and policy divide

While this global success is commendable, the trajectory is not uniform across the board. The rise is slowing in major Western economies because of weak policy support.

US position: The US is showing a trend of rolling back solar-friendly policies and subsidy schemes. Complicated permitting processes are slowing the growth of new solar installations in the domestic market.

Doubts about meeting targets: The uneven pace suggests that the goal of tripling global solar capacity by 2030 may not be achieved.

Despite the growth of solar power, total carbon emissions are rising due to the rapid increase in global electricity demand. Simply increasing solar power isn’t enough; we also need stricter policies and investments to quickly eliminate fossil fuel use.

By — Tom Chivers

The solar industry is a game changer for technology and the economy, showing that humanity can act quickly against climate change. A sustainable future needs a unified global effort and the elimination of policy barriers to rapidly expand solar power worldwide.