Donald Trump's attack on Iran resulting in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz may have kickstarted wider consideration of renewables and clean energy, according to climate and environment editor Adam Morton. This comes as a deadly heatwave sweeps through Europe, killing over 1,300 people, a number expected to rise dramatically.
Heatwave Horror Story
The World Health Organisation reports the extreme heatwave has killed more than 1,300 people, but this is likely an understatement. In 2022, heat-related deaths in Europe exceeded 60,000, and the past 10 days have been significantly hotter. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution consortium found nearly half of Europe's 850 biggest cities have endured their worst heat stress in recorded history, with temperatures 5C to 12C above seasonal averages.
The heatwave has disrupted infrastructure, rupturing Germany's Autobahn, buckling train lines, degrading power lines, and forcing nuclear plant closures due to high river temperatures. Scientists say daytime temperatures would have been impossible in 1976 and 10 times less likely in 2003, highlighting the role of human-made climate change.
Feelgood Renewable Story
In contrast, Trump's inept attack on Iran alongside Israel, and the resulting blockade of about 20% of the world's oil and gas supply through the Strait of Hormuz, has triggered fresh consideration of energy independence from fossil fuels. Short-term decisions have bolstered dirty fuels, but attention is also on ramping up clean energy for energy security and lower costs.
Renewable energy—solar, wind, and hydro—overtook coal as the leading electricity source last year, providing a third of global total. Adding nuclear, non-fossil generation reached 42%. Solar energy grew 30% in 2025, the largest annual increase of any electricity source in history. Battery storage grew 66%.
Global Renewable Surge
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres noted solar and battery costs have fallen 90% and 95% respectively over 15 years, while wind costs are down 70%. He argued renewables present a "clean way out" of the energy crisis, stating they are "the cheapest, fastest and most scalable source of new electricity in most of the world."
In Pakistan, solar capacity increased more than tenfold in four years, reaching 25% of electricity last year, prompting the government to cancel LNG imports. In the EU, solar and wind provided about 30% of electricity in 2025, up from 19% in 2021. Renewable energy is now 48% of total generation, with fossil fuels falling to 29%.
Even in the US, where Trump undermined renewables, solar and batteries provided 91% of new generation capacity in the first quarter of this year. May was the first time solar provided more electricity than coal, according to Ember.
China and Emerging Economies Lead
China uses more electricity than the US, Europe, and India combined, and is adding far more renewable energy. Coal's share of power has fallen from 80% to about 50%. China also leads in EV manufacturing; two-thirds of cars and at least 25% of heavy vehicles sold this year are expected to be EVs. Globally, EV proportion is likely to be 27%, up from 9% five years ago, according to BloombergNEF.
In India, Delhi will ban new licence plates for fossil-powered small trucks and three-wheelers from next year, and scooters and motorbikes in two years. Ethiopia has already banned new fossil fuel car imports to save on fuel costs.
Electrification as the New Buzzword
None of these developments change the scale of the task; global emissions are yet to fall. Much new clean energy powers expanding demand, not replacing fossil fuels. However, the shift in solar, transport, and energy storage underlines the new buzzword: electrification. It is at the heart of plans for this year's UN climate summit and a major campaign under the banner Electrify Now.
The idea is that electricity can meet about 75% of the world's energy needs using existing technology, and it will increasingly come from clean sources because they are cheapest. This offers qualified optimism for addressing the climate crisis.
