Science Renewable energy boom named "Breakthrough of the Year"
The science magazine "Science" has named the global boom in renewable energies the "Breakthrough of the Year 2025". For the first time, solar and wind supplied more electricity worldwide than coal, as the editor-in-chief of the "Science" journals, Holden Thorp, wrote in the editorial.
19.12.2025, 03:10
SDA
The overall situation has come very close to the point at which global emissions from fossil fuels peak and then begin to fall, Thorp said. "This milestone could now be just a few years away."
Many of the technologies that have led to the remarkable rise of renewables were developed in the US, "but the further development, perfection and industrial production of these technologies has taken place in China." China is reaping significant economic benefits from this, supplying 80 percent of the world's solar cells, 70 percent of wind turbines and 70 percent of lithium batteries.
"China has really mastered this... with the help of the size of its economy, its manufacturing capacity and fierce competition at home," Li Shuo from the Asia Society Policy Institute told the journal. According to the "Science" article, the prices for renewable energies have been drastically reduced. This has led to wind and solar energy becoming the cheapest energy source in large parts of the world.
China's own energy landscape has changed accordingly: Solar power generation has increased more than twenty-fold in the last ten years. According to "Science", China installed new solar and wind capacities equivalent to the output of around 100 nuclear power plants in 2024 alone.
Global exports and energy security as drivers
According to Science, China's rapidly growing exports of green technologies are also changing the rest of the world. Countries in the Global South and Europe bought these technologies in order to increase energy security and reduce costs. According to Science, imports of solar panels to Africa and South Asia have risen sharply as people in these regions have realized that solar roofs can power lights, cell phones and fans at low cost.
However, the analysis also emphasizes that despite the rapid progress, global carbon emissions continue to rise. According to numerous experts, the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial period is now unattainable.
According to "Science", challenges remain: China is continuing to build new coal-fired power plants. Political resistance such as trade barriers for Chinese solar modules and the US government's policy against the development of wind and solar energy are also hampering progress. The infrastructure required to fully exploit wind and solar energy is another hurdle.
Hope for further progress
In contrast, there is hope for technological progress - such as longer rotor blades for wind turbines and new perovskite solar cells, which, in combination with silicon, capture more light and increase efficiency.
The decisive point, however, is motivation, according to "Science". While buyers in 2004 were still paying a premium due to environmental concerns, today self-interest - through lower costs and greater energy security - is the main driving force. "This change in motivation could be the most important breakthrough of all."
