LONDON, U.K.: Renewable energy produced more electricity than coal worldwide for the first time in early 2025, marking a significant milestone in the global shift away from fossil fuels, a new report from energy think tank Ember said.

The surge was driven largely by the rapid expansion of solar and wind power in China and India, which helped renewables generate 5,072 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity between January and June, overtaking coal's 4,896 TWh, according to Ember.

"We are seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point," said Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka, Ember's senior electricity analyst. "Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world's growing appetite for electricity."

Curbing coal, which emits roughly twice as much carbon dioxide as gas-fired generation, is considered essential to meeting global climate goals.

Global electricity demand rose 2.6 percent, or 369 TWh, in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. That increase was more than offset by a 306 TWh rise in solar output and a 97 TWh increase in wind power, the report said.

The most significant progress came from Asia. In China, the world's largest power consumer, fossil-fuel generation fell two percent, while solar and wind generation grew 43 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

In India, wind output jumped 29 percent and solar 31 percent, helping reduce coal and gas use by 3.1 percent.

However, fossil-fuel use rose in the United States and European Union, where stronger demand and weaker wind and hydropower generation led utilities to rely more on coal and gas.

In the U.S., coal generation rose 17 percent as gas output fell 3.9 percent, while in Europe, gas-fired generation climbed 14 percent and coal 1.1 percent, according to Ember.

The trend comes as U.S. President Donald Trump, a long-time climate-change sceptic, continues to promote coal. Earlier this year, he signed executive orders to boost coal production and recently pledged further support for coal-fired plants.