2025 clean energy milestone masks systemic failures: fossil fuel lock-ins persist despite record growth in renewables

Indigenous communities have long practiced energy sovereignty through decentralized, sustainable systems, such as the Māori use of geothermal energy in Aotearoa or the Quechua’s traditional hydropower in the Andes. These systems are often ignored in favor of large-scale, corporate-led renewable projects that replicate colonial extraction logics. The 2025 milestone fails to acknowledge how renewable energy expansion frequently displaces Indigenous lands under the guise of 'green development,' as seen in the DRC’s cobalt mines or Mexico’s wind farms on Zapotec territory.

The 2025 clean energy milestone is not an isolated event but the culmination of over a century of energy transitions, from the shift from coal to oil in the early 20th century to the post-WWII electrification of the Global North. The current 'turning point' mirrors past booms in renewables (e.g., the 1970s solar tax credits in the US) that were later undermined by fossil fuel resurgences. Structural path dependencies—such as the lock-in of fossil fuel infrastructure in the Middle East or the US shale revolution—continue to shape global energy politics, as evidenced by the US-Israel-Iran conflict’s role in delaying renewable adoption.

Cross-culturally, energy transitions are not merely technological but deeply tied to cultural values and social justice. In Japan, post-Fukushima energy policies prioritized community-led solar cooperatives over corporate nuclear expansion, while in Germany, the *Energiewende* has struggled due to its top-down implementation. African nations like Morocco and South Africa have leveraged solar power to address energy poverty, but these successes are often framed as 'exceptions' rather than models for systemic change. The Western-centric narrative of 2025’s milestone overlooks these diverse pathways.

Scientifically, the 2025 report’s claim that clean energy met 100% of new power needs is based on capacity additions rather than actual generation or emissions reductions. Peer-reviewed studies (e.g., from *Nature Energy*) highlight that renewable energy growth is outpaced by fossil fuel demand in absolute terms, with coal and gas still dominating 80% of global energy supply. The report’s methodology also fails to account for lifecycle emissions of renewables (e.g., lithium mining in the Atacama Desert) or the rebound effects of energy efficiency improvements.

Artistic and spiritual traditions often frame energy as a sacred relationship with the Earth, as seen in the Hindu concept of *Prakriti* (nature as divine) or the African philosophy of *Ubuntu* (interconnectedness). Indigenous ceremonies, such as the Sun Dance of the Plains Nations, center energy as a communal resource, contrasting with the commodification of energy in capitalist systems. The 2025 milestone’s celebration of technological progress ignores these cultural frameworks, which emphasize balance over extraction.

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.

Marginalized communities—particularly in the Global South, Indigenous territories, and low-income urban areas—are disproportionately affected by energy transitions, facing displacement for renewable projects or exclusion from decision-making. Women in rural Africa, who spend hours collecting firewood, are often sidelined in energy policy despite bearing the brunt of energy poverty. The 2025 report’s focus on aggregate numbers obscures these lived realities, such as the 300,000 people displaced by Ethiopia’s Gibe III Dam for 'clean energy' or the Indigenous activists jailed for opposing solar farms on sacred lands.