A deadly heatwave sweeping Europe has killed more than 1,300 people, according to the World Health Organisation, a number expected to be a dramatic understatement. In the summer of 2022, heat-related deaths in Europe exceeded 60,000, and the past 10 days have been significantly hotter. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution consortium found nearly half of Europe's 850 biggest cities endured their worst heat stress in recorded history, with temperatures 5°C to 12°C above seasonal averages.
Heatwave Disrupts Infrastructure
The heatwave has ruptured Germany's Autobahn, buckled train lines, degraded power lines, crippled medical equipment, and forced nuclear plant closures due to river temperature limits. Daytime temperatures in recent days would have been impossible in the 1976 heatwave and 10 times less likely in 2003, highlighting human-made climate change's role.
In Australia, early signs suggest the southern continent may face its warmest winter on record, with ski seasons reliant on artificial snow. The recently declared El Niño pattern could accelerate this trend.
Renewable Energy Surge
Despite the horror, a feelgood climate story is emerging, with an accidental hero: Donald Trump. His inept attack on Iran and Israel, and the resulting blockade of the Strait of Hormuz (affecting about 20% of global oil and gas supply), has triggered fresh consideration of energy independence from fossil fuels. For the first time, renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro) overtook coal-fired power last year, providing a third of global electricity. Including nuclear, non-fossil generation reached 42%.
Solar energy expanded at an astonishing pace, growing 30% in 2025—the largest annual increase of any electricity source in history. Battery storage grew 66%. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres noted solar and battery costs fell 90% and 95% over 15 years, while wind costs dropped 70%, calling renewables the "cheapest, fastest and most scalable source of new electricity."
Global Renewable Adoption
In Pakistan, solar capacity increased more than tenfold in four years, topping 25% of electricity last year, prompting the government to cancel LNG imports. In the EU, solar and wind provided about 30% of electricity in 2025, up from 19% in 2021, with renewables now at 48% of generation. Fossil fuels fell to 29%.
In the US, solar and batteries provided 91% of new generation capacity in the first quarter of 2025, and May was the first month solar outpaced coal. China, using more electricity than the US, Europe, and India combined, has seen coal's share fall from 80% to about 50%, though coal generation has not yet declined. China also leads in electric vehicle manufacturing, with two-thirds of cars and at least 25% of heavy vehicles expected to be EVs this year.
India's Delhi government announced a ban on new fossil-fuel license plates for small trucks and three-wheelers from next year, and for scooters and motorbikes in two years. Ethiopia has already banned new fossil fuel car imports to save on fuel costs.
Electrification as a Solution
Global emissions have yet to decline, and much new clean energy powers expanding demand rather than replacing fossil fuels. However, the shift in solar, transport, and energy storage underlines the new buzzword: electrification. Electricity can meet about 75% of global energy needs using existing technology, and it will increasingly come from clean sources due to cost advantages. This offers qualified optimism and the basis for progress in addressing the climate crisis, according to Adam Morton, Guardian Australia's climate and environment editor.
