Global investment in renewable energy reached a record $386bn in the first half of 2025, up 10% on the same period last year, according to a report from Zero Carbon Analytics. The growth occurred despite moves by the Trump administration to cancel and derail low-carbon projects.
The rate of increase, while slightly lower than previous years, remains strong. Between the first half of 2023 and 2024, investment rose 12%, and from 2022 to 2023 it increased by 17%. Joanne Bentley-McKune, research analyst at Zero Carbon Analytics, said: 'This shows the sector still has momentum and underlying strength.'
Finance for onshore and offshore wind grew by about a quarter in the first half of 2025, reaching £126bn. China and Europe were the biggest markets for offshore wind. Additionally, at least $470bn in future clean energy finance has been announced since January, with roughly three-quarters earmarked for energy grids and electricity transmission.
A separate report from the Net Zero Tracker found that large companies continue to pursue net zero plans despite US hostility. Companies representing about 70% of the revenue of the top 2,000 listed firms globally are actively pursuing net zero targets. In the US, 19 states remain committed to net zero, and 304 large US-headquartered companies have net zero targets, up from 279 last year.
John Lang, lead author of the Net Zero Tracker report, said: 'Talk of a net zero recession is overblown. Backtracking is confined to fossil fuels and their financiers.' However, the report warned that countries and companies still need to move faster to close the gap between aspiration and action.
