Climate goals stall as implementation lags policy ambition

Despite RE expansion, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions continued to rise in 2025.

A widening gap between international climate commitments and real-world implementation is slowing progress towards global energy and climate goals, according to a report by the International Energy Agency and the Climate High-Level Champions.

The annual Breakthrough Agenda report identified implementation—not ambition—as the primary constraint on accelerating the energy transition, with investment, infrastructure, and market development continuing to lag policy objectives.

The report said progress depends on governments, companies, and international institutions working together to overcome barriers to investment, infrastructure deployment, and market growth.

Whilst international cooperation on energy and climate continues to expand, the growing number of initiatives has also increased complexity across sectors.

“In some sectors, overlapping efforts and fragmented approaches to cutting emissions risk slowing progress, particularly where projects depend on coordinated investment, shared infrastructure or common standards,” the report said.

Global electricity demand increased by around 3% in 2025, more than double the growth rate of overall energy demand.

Renewables and nuclear power met nearly 60% of the increase, whilst annual renewable capacity additions reached 800GW.

Despite this expansion, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions continued to rise in 2025, underscoring the gap between current policy trajectories and international climate objectives.

The report said many energy transition challenges now stem less from setting long-term targets and more from scaling projects, infrastructure, and markets at sufficient speed.

It called for stronger international coordination on standards, investment risk, and financing conditions, particularly in emerging and developing economies, and said governments will play a central role in translating sector plans into implementation.

Launched at COP26, the Breakthrough Agenda aims to strengthen international cooperation across major emitting sectors and accelerate deployment of clean technologies ahead of the next Global Stocktake in 2028.