New report highlights five reasons for hope in the climate fight
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03 Jun 2026
Story
Climate Action
New report highlights five reasons for hope in the climate fight
Credit: UNEP/Duncan Moore
Scientists say the Earth is likely to shoot past a key global warming target within the decade, bringing the planet ever closer to a full-blown climate catastrophe.
The good news?
Several climate-friendly technologies – like renewable energy – may be approaching tipping points in which they become mainstream, finds a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). These transitions could allow humanity to break free of fossil fuels in some sectors and make a meaningful dent in the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving global warming.
These tipping points are not guaranteed, found the report, titled Cheaper. Cleaner. Unstoppable. Clean technologies that are delivering for the Climate. They hinge on clear and sustained policies, investment, and public support to fulfill their potential. But their approach gives those on the frontlines of the climate battle reason for hope because once progress reaches a certain point, it can become self-reinforcing.
“For so long our economies and societies have been tied to fossil fuels,” says Anne Olhoff, director of the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre. “But we’re finally at the point where, at least in some cases, we’re poised to break the iron grip of coal, oil and gas.”
Here are five areas to watch, according to the new UNEP report.
1. Renewable energy - the cheapest option
Over the past decade, the cost of renewable energy has fallen dramatically. In most parts of the world, installing solar power is now cheaper than building new coal or gas plants. As a result, renewables have become the largest destination for global energy investment, reaching around US$450 billion in 2024, according to the International Energy Agency.
Since 2020, more than 75 per cent of new power capacity added globally has come from renewable sources, with solar and wind growing faster than any other energy technologies in history. In some countries, they now generate most electricity.
The electricity sector accounts for roughly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. But the quick expansion of renewables, supported by rapidly expanding battery storage, is reshaping entire energy systems, as costs continue to fall, and investment and political support increase.
2. Electric vehicles are accelerating into the mainstream
In 2025, electric vehicles accounted for more than a quarter of global new car sales, up from less than 3 per cent in 2019. This shift has been driven by falling battery costs, expanding charging infrastructure, and stronger policies.
In Norway, electric cars now make up almost all new vehicle sales. China has scaled...