Record Investments in the Low-Carbon Energy Transition in 2024

The BloombergNEF 2024 report reveals a historic record of global investments in the low-carbon energy transition, driven by electrified transport, renewable energy, and power grids.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

Global investments in the low-carbon energy transition reached unprecedented levels in 2024, according to BloombergNEF’s report.

Record Global Investments

The analysis reveals an 11% increase compared to the previous year, bringing the total to 2.1 trillion dollars. The key sectors include electrified transport, renewable energy, and the modernization of power grids. The report specifies that investments in energy transition technologies, while on the rise, show a growth rate lower than in previous years, when they varied between 24% and 29%.

Investments by Sector

The electrified transport sector, incorporating electric vehicles, two-wheelers, and charging infrastructure, attracted 757 billion dollars. This amount underlines the importance given to low-carbon mobility in the global decarbonization strategy.
Investments in renewable energy amounted to 728 billion dollars, including projects in wind energy (both onshore and offshore), solar, as well as sectors such as biofuels and biomass. Two other areas, power grids and energy storage, attracted 390 billion dollars respectively, emphasizing the need for a robust infrastructure to support the transition.

Key Figures

Sectoral performance highlights strategic investments aimed at supporting the growth of production and distribution capacities. This dynamic reflects the willingness of financial actors to address the challenges of the energy transition on a global scale.

China’s Performance

China stands out by recording 818 billion dollars in investments, a 20% increase compared to 2023. This figure surpasses the combined investments made by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, indicating Beijing’s leading position in this transformation.
Albert Cheung, Deputy CEO of BloombergNEF (Bloomberg New Energy Finance), emphasizes that despite this record, further efforts are necessary, particularly in industrial decarbonization, hydrogen, and carbon capture.

Transition Prospects

Projections indicate that global investments will need to average 5.6 trillion euros per year between 2025 and 2030 to approach the net-zero goal by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement. These figures illustrate the complexity of the challenges to be met, even though the trajectory initiated is encouraging for sustaining progress in the energy transition.

Indonesia plans $31bn in investments by 2030 to decarbonise captive power, but remains constrained by coal dependence and uncertainty over international financing.
A drone attack on the Al-Muqrin station paralysed part of Sudan's electricity network, affecting several states and killing two rescuers during a second strike on the burning site.
The Bolivian government eliminates subsidies on petrol and diesel, ending a system in place for twenty years amid budgetary pressure and dwindling foreign currency reserves.
Poland’s financial watchdog has launched legal proceedings over suspicious transactions involving Energa shares, carried out just before Orlen revealed plans to acquire full ownership.
The Paris Council awards a €15bn, 25-year contract to Dalkia, a subsidiary of EDF, to operate the capital’s heating network, replacing long-time operator Engie amid political tensions ahead of municipal elections.
Norway’s energy regulator plans a rule change mandating grid operators to prepare for simultaneous sabotage scenarios, with an annual cost increase estimated between NOK100 and NOK300 per household.
The State of São Paulo has requested the termination of Enel Distribuição São Paulo’s concession, escalating tensions between local authorities and the federal regulator amid major political and energy concerns three years before the contractual expiry.
Mauritania secures Saudi financing to build a key section of the “Hope Line” as part of its national plan to expand electricity transmission infrastructure inland.
RESourceEU introduces direct European Union intervention on critical raw materials via stockpiling, joint purchasing and export restrictions to reduce external dependency and secure strategic industrial chains.
The third National Low-Carbon Strategy enters its final consultation phase before its 2026 adoption, defining France’s emissions reduction trajectory through 2050 with sector-specific and industrial targets.
Germany will allow a minimum 1.4% increase in grid operator revenues from 2029, while tightening efficiency requirements in a compromise designed to unlock investment without significantly increasing consumer tariffs.
Facing a structural electricity surplus, the government commits to releasing a new Multiannual Energy Programme by Christmas, as aligning supply, demand and investments becomes a key industrial and budgetary issue.
A key scientific report by the United Nations Environment Programme failed to gain state approval due to deep divisions over fossil fuels and other sensitive issues.
RTE warns of France’s delay in electrifying energy uses, a key step to limiting fossil fuel imports and supporting its reindustrialisation strategy.
India’s central authority has cancelled 6.3 GW of grid connections for renewable projects since 2022, marking a tightening of regulations and a shift in responsibility back to developers.
The Brazilian government has been instructed to define within two months a plan for the gradual reduction of fossil fuels, supported by a national energy transition fund financed by oil revenues.
The German government may miss the January 2026 deadline to transpose the RED III directive, creating uncertainty over biofuel mandates and disrupting markets.
Italy allocated 82% of the proposed solar and wind capacities in the Fer-X auction, totalling 8.6GW, with competitive purchase prices and a strong concentration of projects in the southern part of the country.
Amid rising public spending, the French government has tasked two experts with reassessing the support scheme for renewable electricity and storage, with proposals expected within three months.
National operator PSE partners with armed forces to protect transformer stations as critical infrastructure faces sabotage linked to foreign interference.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.