"Many clean energy technologies require more support to reach deployment levels required" (JRC)
"Four out of 15 clean energy technologies needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century are already more cost-efficient than their fossil fuel-based alternatives", according to the Joint Research Centre's Global Energy and Climate Outlook 2025, published on 27/03/2026, "based on policies and targets enacted globally".
"The report finds that a few technologies are already able to compete with their high-emitting counterparts, a few others are close to being able to do so, but many important clean energy technologies are far from maturity and require more support to reach the deployment levels required in the 1.5°C scenario", they write.
The four "competitive" technologies are solar, wind, electric vehicles and biofuels. They are "well on track for large-scale deployment", says the JRC, and "are expected to achieve high levels of deployment in terms of total capacity installed, with little to no additional policy support."
Additionally, "deploying the full portfolio of clean technologies - from low-carbon technologies to negative emissions technologies - will be necessary to ensure progress towards the 1.5°C scenario", states the outlook. In this context, "continued innovation and investment will be needed to bring emerging solutions such as synthetic fuels and CO₂ capture to the levels of readiness required to achieve global climate and energy goals."
Key conclusions of the report show that "global climate mitigation efforts continue to fall short of what is needed", but "the rapidly improving competitiveness of clean energy technologies offers a crucial opportunity to raise ambition".
15 clean energy technologies categorised by the JRC
"The report categorises 15 core clean energy technologies according to their current deployment trajectory compared with the levels assessed in global climate scenarios for 2050", explains the JRC.
• Competitive (≥ 80 % of deployment under current policy support compared to 1.5 °C requirements): solar power, wind power, electric cars and biofuels.
• Advancing (50-80 %): nuclear energy, power sector storage and low-emission options for heavy transport (EV and H2 trucks).
"The almost competitive technologies require additional policy support to scale up in the coming decade."
• Emerging (<50 %): low-emission fuels (green ammonia, biogas, liquid synfuels, e-methane), electric options for industrial heat (heat pumps, electrolysers), CO₂ capture technologies (CCS).
"The uncompetitive technologies are mostly needed for the final stages of reaching net zero, are generally less mature technologically and require earlier-stage policy interventions to support their progress towards widespread market deployment towards the middle of the century."
Is trade fragmentation a challenge for mitigation policies?
The analysis "looks at the possible effects of international trade fragmentation - as opposed to globalisation - on mitigation policy and finds that there is limited interaction between climate and trade policy at the global GDP level", states the JRC.
"Trade fragmentation may reduce emissions, but does so inefficiently, causing larger GDP losses than emissions reductions. Fragmentation also hampers deep decarbonisation. Energy trade flows are more shaped by climate policy, while manufacturing trade remains largely shaped by trade policies."
"The full technology portfolio will be necessary." (GECO 2025)
"The gap between the current pathway and what’s required for the remaining uncompetitive technologies highlights the significant amount of effort still required. While the uncompetitive technologies account for a smaller share of total emissions reductions, their role is critical: the full technology portfolio will be necessary to be mobilised to reach the 1.5°C scenario. The timely and sufficient deployment of all technological options is the complex task at hand to reach deep decarbonisation."
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