Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), has said China's achievements in clean energy technologies are impressive and have accelerated the global energy transition. He made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua on the sidelines of the just-concluded Berlin Global Dialogue.
According to Birol, the global energy crisis is reshaping energy markets. As countries try to reduce their reliance on traditional sources, they are adopting renewables and electric vehicles. He said the war in the Middle East has created what he called the biggest energy security challenge in history, with both the Siberian pipeline route to Europe and the Strait of Hormuz under severe strain.
Image: TIME — https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people/2026/fatih-birol/
Since the conflict began, Birol identified four main trends: rapid growth in renewables, rising electric vehicle sales, a modest increase in coal use and renewed momentum for nuclear power. Solar leads the growth, followed by wind. Biofuel use is also rising strongly, partly due to higher diesel and petrol prices.
Birol stressed that the expansion of renewables is driven not only by climate concerns but also by energy security and countries' efforts to boost domestic production. Electric vehicles are growing rapidly in many markets, from Europe to Brazil, Australia and Southeast Asia, with reduced oil dependence a key factor.
Image: cleaningup.live — https://www.cleaningup.live/the-mother-of-all-energy-crises-ep253-fatih-birol/
China's role is central. Birol said EVs now account for about 60% of new car sales in the country. Such widespread adoption, he added, is not only transforming the car industry but also changing the structure of global energy consumption and will profoundly affect the future energy market.
This picture confirms a trend visible in other data, such as China's solar capacity overtaking coal, covered by AlexTech, and the acceleration of electric cars in Europe analysed by AlexTech.
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