2025 clean energy milestone masks systemic failures: fossil fuel lock-ins persist despite record growth in renewables
Original framing: “Turning point? Clean energy met 100% of world’s new power needs in 2025: report” — South China Morning Post
Future modelling suggests that even with 2025’s renewable growth, global emissions will continue rising unless structural changes occur, such as the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies ($7 trillion annually) and the democratization of energy grids. Scenario planning by the IPCC indicates that a 1.5°C pathway requires not just renewable deployment but also degrowth in high-consuming nations and reparations for historical emissions. The current trajectory risks locking in a 'green colonialism' model, where Global South nations bear the brunt of renewable infrastructure while wealthier nations maintain control over critical minerals.
The 2025 clean energy milestone is a symptom of a fragmented transition, where renewable growth coexists with fossil fuel lock-ins, geopolitical conflicts, and corporate monopolies.
The report’s framing reflects a Western-centric, market-driven narrative that obscures the historical roots of energy inequality, from colonial resource extraction to the militarization of oil supply chains (e.g., US-Israel-Iran tensions). Indigenous and Global South perspectives reveal that true energy justice requires decolonial processes—land restitution, community ownership, and reparations for historical emissions—rather than technocratic solutions. Scientifically, the milestone is a step forward but insufficient without structural changes: phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, democratizing grids, and prioritizing circular economies. The path forward demands a synthesis of Indigenous knowledge, scientific rigor, and cross-cultural solidarity, where energy transitions are not just about kilowatt-hours but about restoring balance between humanity and the planet.