On Wednesday, 2 April 2025, the Head of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Inclusive Transitions at the International Energy Agency, Brian Motherway, delivered an address titled A Decade After the Paris Agreement: Global Progress and Challenges in Clean Energy Transitions, in the first instalment of the IIEA and the ESB’s 2025 REthink Energy lecture series.  Dr Motherway’s speech focused on the progress made 10 years after the Paris Agreement, and the capacity for greater progress now. He argued that governments and international institutions can guide the clean energy transition by making it inclusive, equitable, and supported by the public.  

Progress

Dr Motherway began by highlighting the progress made in clean energy thus far. In 2024, global investment in the energy system reached three trillion USD equivalent for the first time, and two trillion of that was in clean energy and infrastructure. This divergence between investment in fossil fuels and clean energy only continues to grow. Dr Motherway illustrated this point with a graph showing an increase in the sale of heat pumps and electric cars. One in two cars in China and one in four cars in Europe purchased this year will be an electric vehicle, reflecting a broader policy-driven shift of consumer preferences for green goods. 

Challenges

However, despite these successes, greenhouse gas emissions are still rising. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions hit a peak in 2024, with atmospheric concentrations now roughly 50% above what they were in pre-industrial times. This puts the world off track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (compared to pre-industrial levels). Although electricity use is growing, and 80 per cent of global capacity additions to electricity in 2024 were from clean sources, this progress is being overshadowed by the overall growth in energy demand. In OECD countries, it now takes only one-third as much carbon to generate a unit of GDP as it did 50 years ago, a sign of progress in decarbonising economic activity. Still, emissions continue to rise. Dr Motherway noted that the world has not yet meaningfully embarked on the path required to meet its climate commitments. However, the global community still has the ability to meet these goals. The necessary technologies already exist; whether global climate goals are met will depend on the decisions made in the immediate future.

Climate Policy and Equity

Dr Motherway argued that the success of the clean energy transition depends not only on technological and economic progress, but also on its ability to address global disparities. Equity must be a guiding principle in the global shift towards clean energy. Dr Motherway asserted that the current energy system is fundamentally inequitable and inaccessible to many. 750 million people around the world have no access to electricity, and 40 million people in the EU are in energy poverty . Low-income households in the EU spend a much larger proportion of their income on energy despite using less, and emerging economies around the world struggle with a lack of access to energy. However, 85 per cent of investment in clean energy happens in the US, the EU, and China despite the strong need for this investment in other regions as well. 

According to Dr Motherway, despite widespread recognition of the need for clean energy transitions, significant obstacles are emerging. Recent elections in Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States demonstrate growing public pushback against climate policies, fuelled by concerns over affordability, lifestyle changes, and political polarisation. As the implications of clean energy policies become more tangible, resistance has become more pronounced, with some political actors capitalising on this unease. Dr Motherway emphasised that such reactions are not unexpected; political tensions often intensify as transitions begin to affect daily life. In light of these challenges, the response must be rooted in a people-centred approach. As Dr Motherway observed, “Transitions are not about tons of carbon, they’re not about megawatt hours, they’re not about batteries, they’re about people.” Clean energy transitions must ultimately improve lives by expanding access, making energy more affordable, supporting economic growth, creating jobs, reducing pollution, and mitigating the harshest impacts of climate change. Re-centring people in the narrative is essential to keeping these transitions on track.

Dr Motherway stressed that framing clean energy transitions in a positive manner is vital to building public support. He gave an example of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), a policy that limits high-polluting vehicles in the city. Although the initiative has led to significant improvements in air quality, particularly for low-income communities who rely heavily on public transport, it was often met with negative headlines emphasising the costs and inconveniences. Dr Motherway pointed out that such criticism, especially claims about harms to the poor, regularly lacked genuine concern and served to obscure the real benefits. He warned against narratives that pit immediate personal inconvenience against vague, distant environmental gains, arguing that this framing fails to capture the improvements clean energy policies can bring. He illustrated this further by highlighting Ireland’s Warmth and Wellbeing scheme, where retrofitting cold and damp homes has improved public health, demonstrating that clean energy policies can deliver real and immediate benefits. While acknowledging that some people will face unwelcome changes during this transition, he emphasised the need for fairness and for framing policies in a way that reflects their positive potential.

Dr Motherway concluded by reaffirming that clean energy transitions must remain grounded in the needs of people. Questions about emissions cannot be separated from broader goals such as affordability, access, comfort, and energy security. These principles are increasingly reflected in multilateral efforts. He highlighted the recent adoption of the G20 Voluntary Principles for Just and Inclusive Energy Transitions,  a historic milestone affirming that all G20 members support this idea. He also pointed to the IEA’s Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions , which brings together global voices to turn those principles into concrete action. With Ireland participating as a guest country of the G20 for the first time this year, Dr Motherway underscored the opportunity for Ireland to shape the global agenda and advocate for progressive, inclusive energy policy. At a time of uncertainty, he expressed hope that global cooperation can still deliver a more equitable energy future.