Investment in clean energy to overtake fossil fuel spending in 2024

The International Energy Agency reports that global investment in clean energy will hit $2 trillion in 2024, with solar power receiving the most funding.

Nina Chestney reports for Reuters.


In short:

  • The IEA projects $2 trillion in clean energy investments for 2024, outpacing fossil fuels two-to-one.
  • Solar power investment is expected to reach $500 billion, largely driven by reduced costs.
  • Despite strong investments, regions outside China, like emerging markets, face significant energy funding gaps.

Key quote:

“For every dollar going to fossil fuels today, almost two dollars are invested in clean energy.”

— Fatih Birol, Executive Director of IEA

Why this matters:

This financial commitment is part of a broader strategy to meet international climate targets and foster economic growth through the creation of green jobs and new technologies. The massive influx of capital into clean energy sectors, such as wind, geothermal, and hydropower, alongside solar, underscores the growing recognition of the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy.

A group of young schoolchildren sitting around a table

Some Ontario students can’t escape extreme heat

Children are especially vulnerable to extreme heat. Some students in Ontario's Peel Region may have little relief when both their schools and homes are difficult to cool.

Protesters carrying a large sign in the shape of the Earth

Global warming will breach the 1.5 degree celsius limit. Now what?

As global temperature increase shoots past 1.5 degrees Celsius, the vulnerable countries that fought for that Paris Agreement target face a brutal new reality.
A cleared forest with trees in the background

Biomass power surge in Indonesia threatens tropical forests

Expanding deforestation in Indonesia caused by the country’s wood pellet and chip industry is putting further pressure on tropical forests, Key Biodiversity Areas, and Indigenous territories in the archipelago.

A selection of house plants under a tent

America’s houseplants come at a steep price for greenhouse workers

The people who grow houseplants aren't often thought of as agricultural workers, but they face many of the same hardships — especially in extreme heat.
A woman drinking water out of a glass

Jet fuel in the water

This week, co-host Jake Bolster and reporters Marianne Lavelle and Liza Gross discuss the polluting power of fossil fuels and how they are harming two communities in very different ways.
An aerial view of a residential area in Hawaii with inlets and a marina

Battered by storms, Hawai‘i communities search for more resilient solutions

“It’s a sign of the times,” Maui County Council Member Tamara Paltin said. “Everything is kind of cyclical, but I think the Earth is going through just a transition. It’s always changing, but this change is just harder for our built environments and humans to deal with.”

A burning tree trunk laying on ash with smoke behind it

Prince William warns ‘inch-by-inch’ action to stop climate change is not enough

‘Devastating’ UK forest fires show urgent action is needed by 2030 to save the planet, he says
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.