The global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy represents the defining growth opportunity of the 21st century, and countries that fail to act risk economic stagnation as others advance, the United Nations’ top climate official said at the opening of COP30 on Monday.
“The economics of this transition are as indisputable as the costs of inaction,” said Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), addressing delegates as the climate summit opened in Belém, Brazil.
Stiell noted that renewable energy had reached a tipping point in global markets. “Solar and wind are now the lowest-cost power in 90% of the world. Renewables overtook coal this year as the world’s top energy source,” he said. “Investments in clean energy and infrastructure will hit another record high this year, with investments in renewables outstripping fossil fuels two to one.”
Despite progress, Stiell said that current national climate commitments are insufficient to meet global emissions targets. He urged governments to take faster and more ambitious action, arguing that delaying the energy transition carries economic and social consequences.
“Not one single nation among you can afford this as climate disasters rip double digits off GDP,” he warned. “Every gigawatt of clean power cuts pollution and creates more jobs.”
Stiell called on nations to turn existing pledges into practical strategies that ensure an equitable global transition. “We have already agreed we will transition away from fossil fuels. Now’s the time to focus on how we do it fairly and orderly,” he said. “We must focus on which deals to strike to accelerate the tripling of renewables and doubling energy efficiency.”
The COP30 summit, hosted in the Amazonian city of Belém, is viewed as a critical moment for advancing global climate commitments ahead of the next decade. Negotiators are expected to focus on accelerating renewable deployment, scaling clean investment, and ensuring that developing nations receive the support needed to implement their energy transitions.
Stiell’s remarks set a firm tone for the two-week conference, highlighting both the risks of inaction and the potential for economic growth through climate leadership.
