ReNew2030 | From progress to scale in 2025
ReNew2030 Receives Transformative Gift to Accelerate the Global Power Sector Transition
Contribution will support international efforts to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030
Download Press ReleaseWe are grateful to announce that ReNew2030 has been entrusted with an unrestricted gift by MacKenzie Scott via her foundation Yield Giving. As one of several climate collaboratives receiving funding through this initiative, this generous support will empower ReNew2030 partners around the world to scale up their high-impact work—helping accelerate a faster, more equitable power sector transition to renewables.
Yield Giving’s commitment is rooted in a simple but powerful truth: meaningful change is shaped not by any single leader or institution, but by countless acts of care, collaboration, and courage. This gift recognises that same spirit of interdependence in the global transition to renewable energy.
It affirms that equity and inclusion are central to ensuring an effective and just power sector transition at every level. It underscores the value of the local leaders, regional climate foundations, and transnational partners who make up the ReNew2030 network—organisations that blend deep local knowledge with global reach and understand that the transition succeeds when communities are not only protected but empowered.
Beyond providing essential new resources, this milestone reinforces the confidence in our collective vision and the powerful momentum we’ve built together with our partners, acknowledging the long arc of contributions—large and small—that make global progress possible.
Over the next four years, this support will enable ReNew2030’s network to deepen their engagement in communities most affected by climate change and energy inequities, fostering innovative solutions that reflect local priorities while helping accelerate global goals to triple renewable capacity by 2030.
We know that the path to a cleaner, fairer world is shaped by the many hands, hearts, and decisions that rarely make headlines. This milestone opens new possibilities for those contributions to ripple outward with greater impact where they matter most.
We are deeply grateful to Yield Giving and to our strong community of funding catalysts for their trust and partnership, and to our entire network for their unwavering dedication to a cleaner, more equitable world. Together with this remarkable cohort, we continue to advance our shared mission of scaling wind and solar power by 2030.
“This extraordinary gift arrives at a pivotal moment, as communities on the frontlines of climate change face mounting challenges and shrinking time to act. It empowers dedicated organisations on the ground, enabling them to reach more people, scale faster, and accelerate our shared mission of building a just, clean energy future. It’s a powerful step toward a world where every community has the chance to thrive — not just survive.”
— Sharon Lo, Deputy Director, Program Strategy and Insights at Tara Climate Foundation & Chair of ReNew2030’s Implementation Partners Council
“A testament to the value of national and local action and the strength of our collaborative approach, this generous contribution strengthens our ability to turn ideas into real, lasting renewable energy solutions. With this support, we’re advancing a power transition that’s both swift and equitable, ensuring all regions share in the promise of a cleaner, more resilient future.”
— Rebecca Collyer, Executive Director at ReNew2030
A tipping point for the energy transition — but will we seize it?
By Rebecca Collyer, Executive Director at ReNew2030
“The world added over 600 gigawatts of solar and wind last year — with solar alone growing more than fifteen times faster what the IEA expected a decade ago.” This line from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit’s new report underlined a truth: few believe a transition is gathering pace until they can see it unfolding in real time. Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, it’s a reminder that the energy transition isn’t a future promise, it’s here, accelerating faster than most imagined. Even among experts, that very acceleration has expanded the community itself, giving rise to more expertise and visionaries than before!
Just weeks ago, fresh on the heels of NYC Climate Week, new data echoed the same story: solar generation hit a record high, and renewables overtook coal in global electricity generation for the first time ever.
The new figures confirm that progress is being made. The IEA projects that global renewable power capacity will double by 2030 — equal to the combined capacity of China, the EU, and Japan. Solar PV will lead, accounting for nearly 80% of this growth, with wind close behind despite ongoing challenges. And Ember’s analysis shows that in the first half of 2025 solar and wind growth exceeded the rise in global electricity demand, meaning clean energy didn’t just keep up, it outpaced it.
What we’re witnessing isn’t just a technical or economic transformation; it’s a profoundly human one. A fundamental shift in how the world powers itself: faster than many expected, yet still not fast enough. National Climate Commitments are starting to reflect this shift — many now include renewable energy goals, a notable change from before, but those goals still need to be strengthened.
We’ve seen firsthand how rooftop solar cuts household bills and how decentralised systems light up clinics, schools, and homes beyond the reach of national grids. In Nigeria, our partner the African Climate Foundation is driving renewable energy projects that expand access. In Pakistan, The Sunrise Project and Tara Climate Foundation are supporting businesses adopt distributed solar to reduce costs and build resilience.
These aren’t side stories — they’re the new centre of energy resilience and equity.
Behind every solar panel or wind turbine is a story of change and, often, of justice: lower energy bills, increased electricity access for remote communities, local jobs, and enhanced energy security.
Yes, renewables have clearly hit the acceleration phase of their S-curve: costs have fallen, supply chains are maturing, and record solar additions are driving global growth, with wind beginning to recover, though unevenly. Yet that very acceleration is exposing new bottlenecks. Grids and policies need to evolve just as fast to keep the curve steep — and how fast we catch up will determine how fast we stay on the steep section.
This growing tension between rapid deployment and system readiness is shaping the next frontier of the energy transition. As renewable energy undercuts fossil fuels on cost, it’s also reducing wholesale electricity prices and system costs. But here’s the catch: without fair market design and investment in modern grids, these savings won’t reach the people who need them most.
Even more troubling, fossil fuel production plans continue to defy climate logic, with governments set to produce more than twice the fossil fuels in 2030 than compatible with 1.5°C. At the same time, less than 15% of renewable energy finance reaches emerging markets and developing economies — both a missed opportunity and an injustice. The energy transition cannot be called successful if it leaves large parts of the world behind.
The IEA’s “main case” scenario still falls short of the COP28 target to triple global renewables by 2030. But its accelerated case analysis shows we can close that gap if we act now to resolve financing barriers, cut red tape, and invest in infrastructure.
At ReNew2030, we’re working toward that future. Our mission is to help countries and regions stay on the steep part of the renewable S-curve by turning shared bottlenecks into solutions that can be scaled and replicated. While record growth is encouraging, not all regions are moving at the pace needed to align with the IEA’s Net Zero 2050 pathway, which requires a sustained global expansion on the order of 15% per year through 2030. Many countries, especially outside the frontrunner markets, need to raise both ambition and execution. Closing that “S-curve gap” is precisely what ReNew2030 was created to do.
Because this transition isn’t only about installing more solar panels. It’s about building systems that work for people. That means grid-ready infrastructure, institutional reforms, and local leadership.
As we approach COP30 in Brazil, we must be clear-eyed: this cannot be another summit of promises. It must deliver on credibility and implementation. To keep global climate goals within reach, we can’t simply restate ambition; we must accelerate deployment wherever it can make the biggest impact. That means every clean megawatt we can deploy faster, every policy we can unblock, every financing barrier we can remove, matters profoundly in keeping 1.5°C alive.
The choice before us is simple: seize this tipping point, or risk watching it slip away.
Rebecca Collyer
Executive Director at ReNew2030
Powering possibility: How communities are turning the tide on the energy transition
A conversation with Instituto Clima e Sociedade, Iniciativa Climática de México and the European Climate Foundation
Around the world, many communities continue to be overlooked in the energy transition. Some are still dependent on costly and polluting fuels to power their lives—often beyond the reach of national grids and excluded by ongoing inequality and underinvestment. Others face different barriers: limited inclusion, gaps in technical capacity, or insufficient institutional support to shape solutions that fit local needs.
Across these regions, the message is the same: the current approach falls short, and the most vulnerable are paying the highest price. To tackle this, our regional partners are leading a growing number of projects with the communities, to build cleaner, more reliable, and more equitable energy futures.
Here are three concrete examples that show what’s possible when local innovation meets global momentum.
In Brazil, solar energy is powering sustainable rural development and advancing community-led climate solutions. In partnership with Instituto Clima e Sociedade (iCS) and the Centre for Sustainable Development at the University of Brasília, the project brings solar panels and agroecological systems to reform settlements in the semi-arid Caatinga region. This initiative not only generates reliable electricity but also supports rainwater collection and irrigation, laying the groundwork for resilient, community-led food systems.
Meanwhile in Mexico, two communities in El Dátil’s desert region welcomed solar-powered kiosks in August 2025. Led by CERCA and supported by Iniciativa Climática de México (ICM), the project replaces costly, polluting diesel generators with clean, consistent solar power that provides essential electricity services in a harsh, off-grid environment. Following this launch, ICM is also working to implement two more kiosks in the communities of La Candelaria and San Luis Gonzaga, expanding access to clean energy across the region.
And across Europe, creative outreach and digital innovation are helping people see themselves in the energy transition. With support from the European Climate Foundation, Greenpeace teams in Slovakia and Romania are meeting people where they are and sparking curiosity about shared energy solutions through lively festivals and door-to-door campaigns reaching over 1,300 apartment blocks, raising awareness about energy communities and their benefits. At the same time, new tools like the Coopérnico Communities App are making local collaboration easier by connecting neighbours to co-create, manage, and share renewable energy projects within their communities.






In Brazil’s Northeast, rural families are turning sunlight into reliable power and opportunity. With agrivoltaics systems now powering homes and irrigating crops, communities are seeing reduced energy costs, improved food and water security, and new income from organic agriculture. Technical training ensures farmers can operate and maintain these systems independently, strengthening local ownership and long-term sustainability.
In Mexico’s Baja California Sur, new solar-powered kiosks are delivering reliable, clean energy for essential services like education and community gatherings These systems replace polluting fuel sources, cutting CO2 emissions, and they serve as a foundation for long-term resilience in one of Mexico’s most energy-challenged regions. More than just infrastructure, the kiosks reflect a shift in how energy access is approached: by building local capacity and encouraging community ownership, the initiative goes beyond restoring energy access and begins to reimagine it.
In Europe, communities are becoming active players in shaping their energy futures. Creative outreach has made energy cooperation tangible and relatable—turning renewable power from an abstract goal into everyday action. By connecting neighbours to produce, store, and share renewable energy, these efforts are helping people lower costs, build trust, and take ownership of their local systems. Together, these efforts are turning energy transition from a distant policy goal into something participatory, practical, and personal.
Until recently, these communities were dependent on unreliable energy sources that placed a heavy economic burden, particularly on rural and historically marginalized groups. Today, thanks to locally grounded efforts people are taking the lead in shaping their own energy futures.
These successes aren’t happening in isolation. They are part of a growing network supported by ReNew2030 and partners, where solutions are tested, shared, and adapted across borders. Peer learning and community-to-community exchange are fuelling a global movement grounded in local impact.
How Asia’s Offshore Wind Sector Is Gaining Momentum in 2025
By Sharon Lo Deputy Director, Program Strategy & Insights, Tara Climate Foundation, Chair of ReNew2030’s Implementation Partners Council
Across Asia, momentum continues to grow around offshore wind and renewable energy development in 2025. Recent changes in regulatory frameworks, project planning approaches, and market mechanisms are helping unlock new opportunities for clean energy deployment in countries like Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines.
Tara Climate Foundation, a partner of ReNew2030, has been working with a broad group of organisations to shine a spotlight on offshore wind, making the case for its economic and social benefits, highlighting the vast potential across Asia, as well as providing technical expertise and support to help enable its potential to grow.
From expanded zones for offshore wind projects, to more coordinated permitting processes and large-scale energy auctions, new developments are creating a more supportive landscape for scaling clean energy infrastructure and advancing national energy transitions.
Japan has passed a long-anticipated bill paving the way for the development of floating offshore wind projects within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The new framework, set to take effect by April 2026, introduces several measures that enable new wind energy projects, including designating development zones in the EEZ, a formal licensing structure, the establishment of a stakeholder consultation council, and a streamlined environmental assessment process led by the government. Earlier this month, the Japan government announced its industry vision for offshore wind, including a target to develop 15 GW of floating capacity by 2040. These developments mark a significant step forward in unlocking Japan’s offshore wind potential, following years of supportive policy engagement and technical dialogue by a range of stakeholders.
In a major boost for South Korea’s offshore wind ambitions, the National Assembly passed the Special Act on the Promotion of Offshore Wind Power in February 2025. Informally known as the “One Stop Shop Act,” the policy is designed to simplify the complex permitting and regulatory processes that have historically slowed down projects. By centralising and expediting approvals, the Act is expected to significantly reduce project timelines. South Korea has set a target of 40.7 GW of installed wind capacity by 2038, and the implementation of this new approach will be key to achieving that goal.
The Philippines’ Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) has emerged as a critical driver of renewable energy growth. Since its inception in 2022, nearly 12 GW of contracts have been awarded across three rounds. The most recent auction in February 2025 attracted 7.5 GW worth of bids – exceeding its 4.6 GW target – with strong interest in pumped hydro and geothermal. Looking ahead, over 10 GW of solar and wind capacity are expected to be awarded in the next round (GEA-4) scheduled for September 2025. Notably, the recently announced GEA-5 will mark the country’s first auction dedicated solely to fixed-bottom offshore wind, offering 3.3 GW of capacity for delivery between 2028 and 2030. Efforts are underway to ensure auction designs support long-term bankability, including mechanisms to address inflation and currency risks, helping maximise the economic benefits and promote investment in wind power.
These recent developments show there is growing potential for offshore wind to deliver clean, reliable power at scale – supporting the region’s economic ambitions while contributing to long-term energy security and climate resilience.
Continued collaboration, investment and innovation are key to creating a thriving offshore wind sector.
Together with our partners from the ReNew2030 network, we can keep building towards a renewable transition that works for people in Asia, and around the world.
This first annual ReNew2030 report focuses on stories of impact from the field, set against a backdrop of international statistics showing progress in wind and solar and reflecting on whether we are on track to meet our goal.
Read our reportThese countries hold the key to bending the emissions curve – and ReNew2030 exists to help tip the balance. By supporting catalytic partnerships, driving strategic influence, and backing projects with real-world impact, ReNew2030 is working to reshape energy systems in ways that are just, inclusive, and grounded in local priorities.
In 2024, ReNew2030 regional partners made remarkable progress across diverse geographies, often navigating complex and volatile contexts. Despite these challenges, regional climate foundations remained resilient, ambitious, and solutions-driven to deliver tangible results.
2024 was the year of sustaining the momentum on the 3xRenewables goal announced at COP28 in Dubai. Throughout the year, ReNew2030 played a pivotal role in driving accountability and progress toward implementation, supporting a diverse network of transnational partners across regions.

With support from its transnational partner, the Pooled fund on International Energy (PIE), ReNew2030 collaborated with the Global Renewables Alliance to host the first-ever Global Renewables Summit in September 2024 in New York. This gathering brought together governments, private sector, philanthropies, international organisations, and academia – uniting all key stakeholders for the first time to strategise on accelerating the global race to tripling renewable energy capacity.

The Sunrise Project played an important role in engaging financial institutions in global policy-making spaces. Through its flagship Global Finance Programme, Sunrise advanced efforts to align financial systems with clean energy goals, drawing on insights from its work in Asia and Europe. One major initiative was the Sustainable European Central Bank coalition, calling for financial policies that facilitate the energy transition such as dual interest rates.

Another transnational partner, International Climate Politics Hub (ICPH), leveraged its trusted diplomatic network to push for progressive climate policy at the global level. Throughout the year, ICPH remained steadfast in its efforts, ensuring the most ambitious outcomes possible, despite a challenging political environment. At COP29, where some parties sought to weaken last year’s Global Stocktake language on the energy transition, ICPH’s engagement was instrumental in holding the line.
ReNew2030 amplifies its impact through media coverage, thought leadership, and high-profile platforms, ensuring its work reaches key audiences. TED talks, opinion articles in Financial Times Sustainable Views, and strategic engagements at COP29 have elevated its visibility, driving conversations on renewable energy.
ReNew2030 is expanding how it tells its story – launching a voice-note video series featuring community energy successes, and publishing partner-driven blogs on overcoming structural barriers and building inclusive momentum for renewables.
ReNew2030’s narrative was featured on the NPR TED Radio Hour, bringing solar energy challenges and opportunities to mainstream audiences. Media moments like this help ensure that the clean energy transition remains part of the global public dialogue.
With the launch of our quarterly newsletter in 2024 and a refreshed, more accessible website, ReNew2030 has strengthened its digital presence – sharing partner stories, spotlighting achievements, and deepening engagement across the coalition.
Whether at New York Climate Week – where ReNew2030 co-hosted the first ever Global Renewables Summit – COP29, or the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, ReNew2030 takes part in many of the main global climate events. At COP29, we partnered with We Don’t Have Time to spotlight renewable energy solutions, alongside the African Climate Foundation and Tara Climate Foundation. In Berlin, we co-hosted a strategic convening with the Global Renewables Alliance, aligning voices on finance, permitting, workforce development, and countering disinformation.
ReNew2030 has taken centre stage across influential media and thought leadership platforms. TED talks featuring early ReNew2030 perspectives and a compelling case study by Tara Climate Foundation have reached over 1.3 million viewers, sparking conversations well beyond the climate community. Opinion articles in FT Sustainable Views have reinforced the coalition’s key messages, from scaling solar to unlocking finance.
Modernising the Grid: The missing link to scaling renewables
The world is making significant strides toward a clean energy future, but our electricity grids are stuck in the past. Unless we rapidly modernise grid infrastructure, the entire net zero vision is at risk.
Outdated, underfunded, and overstretched, electricity grids have become one of the biggest barriers to scaling renewable energy. Wind and solar projects are being delayed or cancelled due to grid bottlenecks while curtailment – the intentional reduction of renewable energy output – is expected to rise in areas where grid flexibility and storage capacity remain limited. Modern, resilient grids are essential for economic and social development, and for protecting communities from climate impacts like heatwaves, wildfires and floods. Despite growing investments, regional disparities and infrastructure gaps risk leaving some communities behind in the energy transition.
But solutions exist and philanthropy has an important role to play in modernising the grid infrastructure. Over 60 countries and 100 non-state actors have signed the Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge, committing to add or refurbish 25 million kilometres of grids by 2030. At ReNew2030, we believe that philanthropy is uniquely placed to accelerate grid modernisation. By unlocking investment, streamlining policies, and supporting regulatory reforms and local capacity building, we can help turn electricity grids into the backbone of the clean energy transition.
Through conversations with experts and partners in the sector, we identified key barriers to progress and explored how philanthropy can be a powerful catalyst for change.
Planning and approval for grid projects is often slow and complex and in some cases takes up to a decade. Complex permitting requirements, environmental assessments, and stakeholder consultations can create bottlenecks that slow down project development. These delays not only hinder the integration of renewable energy but also impact grid reliability and resilience.
Current regulatory frameworks often lack the flexibility to support rapid investment and innovation in grid infrastructure. Streamlining these processes, while maintaining robust oversight, is crucial to building a modern, resilient, and renewable-ready grid.
Philanthropy can play a critical role in accelerating regulatory reform through policy engagement and public education. Raising awareness of the urgent need and broad benefits of grid modernisation is key. By funding research and engaging with policymakers, philanthropic organisations can help shape policies, encourage investment, and support faster, more effective approval processes.
Modernising the grid is one of the most critical – and complex – challenges in the transition to renewable energy. The need to expand and upgrade aging infrastructure while integrating variable renewable energy sources is well established. Yet the sheer scale of investment – estimated at USD 717 billion annually through 2030, combined with regulatory fragmentation, uncertain financial returns and market design barriers, continues to hold back private capital.
This investment gap is especially stark in the Global South, where the urgent need to expand and modernise transmission and distribution infrastructure poses a significant hurdle to achieving energy transition goals.
While advanced economies grapple with modernising their aging grid infrastructure, some developing economies are still laying the foundations for their power systems. This makes grid investment not only a matter of modernisation, but a cornerstone of development, resilience and energy equity.
To bridge this gap, philanthropic capital can play a catalytic role. By funding early-stage pilots, strengthening institutional and technical capacity, supporting research, and addressing market failures – particularly in regions facing persistent investment gaps, philanthropy can help de-risk innovation and attract commercial investment.
Equipping local actors with the skills and tools to design, manage, and maintain future-ready grids is essential. This includes workforce development and technical education, alongside support for the digital transformation of electricity systems — ensuring they are smart, adaptive, and capable of balancing supply and demand in real time.
Philanthropy can play a transformative role in accelerating grid expansion and modernisation – bridging gaps often left by governments and private investors.
By catalysing progress, de-risking innovation, and strengthening institutional capacity, philanthropy can help deliver a just, inclusive and sustainable clean energy future.