As countries prepare for the world’s first summit on phasing out fossil fuels, renewables are gaining ground in the electricity sector, now making up nearly 50% of global capacity.

While power generation accounts for roughly 21 to 25% of the world’s total energy consumption, fuels like oil and gas still provide the remaining 75% of the energy the world actually uses.

Later this month, 46 countries—alongside scientists, industry leaders, and Indigenous representatives—will meet in Santa Marta, Colombia, to discuss strategies for emerging from that oil dependence.

In a statement, Colombia’s acting environment minister, Irene Vélez Torres, said the conference is an “unprecedented opportunity” for the energy transition because it brings together fossil fuel producing nations and countries that are highly vulnerable to climate change.

Canada will be the largest fossil fuel producer in attendance. The list of participants spans from other wealthy producers like Australia and Norway, to climate-vulnerable small island states like Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The world’s largest fossil fuel producers, including the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and China, will not attend, reported Climate Home News.

Bastiaan Hassing, head of international climate policy for the Dutch government, previously said the conference’s “most obvious” impact would be for co-organizers Colombia and the Netherlands to report on its outcomes at the next United Nations climate summit.

Preparations for the conference come as renewable energy sources like solar and wind gain ground in the global energy mix. In late March, Reuters reported on data released by the International Renewable Energy Agency showing that, as of last year, renewables now account for almost 50% of the world’s electricity capacity after a surge in new additions last year. That growth includes a jump in installed solar of 511 gigawatts to reach a total of 2,392 GW globally, and 159 GW of new wind energy installations that took total capacity to 1,291 GW. Fossil fuel capacity still grew, but by only 116 GW.

By the end of last year, renewables capacity made up 49.4% of the world’s total electricity capacity, a rise from 46.3% the year before. The data also showed that the rate of growth also increased, from 15.1% in 2024 to 15.5% in 2025, Reuters said.

The growth in renewables primarily reflects capacity—the maximum theoretical output. Actual production is often lower due to generation disruptions or weather. Because of this gap, renewables can comprise nearly half of total capacity while accounting for a much smaller share of energy actually consumed. Research from Berkeley Lab backs up practical experience showing that pairing wind or solar with battery storage can bridge this gap.