Analysis of the health of the Earth. Here are some signs of hope, from the solar boom in China and wind power in Texas to the record number of Blue Flags in Italy. The slowdown in global emissions shows that a (happy) transition is already underway.
Every year, on June 5, the world stops, at least symbolically, to take stock of the state of health of the planet. It’s there World Environment Dayestablished by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 and first celebrated in 1974: today it has become the largest global platform for environmental commitment, with active participation in over 143 countries. This year the host nation isAzerbaijanand the theme chosen is unequivocal: climate change, expressed in the slogan «Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future (Inspired by nature. For the climate. For our future)».
The choice ofAzerbaijan it’s not random. The Caucasian country, a crossroads between East and West along the historic Silk Road, boasts extraordinary natural biodiversity, with eight distinct climate bands ranging from subtropical forests to alpine ecosystems. Yet, like almost every corner of the Earth, it is already suffering the devastating consequences of climate change. Baku thus presents itself not as a detached observer, but as a country on the front line, committed to reducing its emissions by 40 percent by 2035 compared to 1990 levels as part of the Paris agreements.
Climate, record emissions at 38.4 billion tonnes: but the green turn accelerates
On emissions, the data are anything but reassuring. According to the Global Energy Review 2026 ofInternational Energy Agency (Iea), global energy-related CO2 emissions reached a new all-time record in 2025: almost 38.4 billion tons, 5 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere reached approximately 427 parts per million, approximately 50 percent higher than pre-industrial levels and 2.4 ppm higher than in 2024.
However, there is one piece of data that partially mitigates the alarm: the growth of emissions has slowed down significantly, stopping at an increase of 0.4 percent in 2025, the lowest pace since 2021. A sign that something, slowly, is changing. Nonetheless, the overall trajectory remains incompatible with the objectives ofParis Agreementand scientists warn that every year of delay makes the correction course more expensive and difficult. Temperatures continue to rise, extreme weather events multiply, ecosystems deteriorate.
Yet change is underway. And it’s much faster than many expected even five years ago. The IEA certifies that in 2025 renewable energies grew faster than global energy demand: solar alone covered over two-thirds of all new electricity demand in the world. A fact that until a few years ago would have seemed utopian. THE’Irena – the International Renewable Energy Agency – calculated that 692 gigawatts of new renewable capacity were added globally in 2025, an annual increase of 15.5 percent, bringing the total installed to 5,149 GW. Photovoltaic and wind together accounted for 96.8 percent of all new installations.
The Texas paradox and China’s global leadership in renewable energy
No case demonstrates this better than that of Texas how surprising the energy transition can be. This American state, synonymous with oil, gas and the world’s fossil energy capital for decades, is now the largest producer of renewable energy in the United States. Data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) confirms that in 2024 the Texas has consolidated this lead, with significant expansion in both solar and wind. The state that generates 43 percent of America’s crude oil already produces 28 percent of all the country’s wind electricity. And in March 2024, unique in history, the Texas it produced more electricity from solar than from coal.
If the Texan case surprises for its symbolic value, the Chinese one is striking for its scale. In 2025, the China installed 315 gigawatts of new photovoltaic capacity, a new annual historical record, an increase of 13.7% compared to 2024. China’s cumulative solar capacity exceeded one terawatt (about 1,200 GW), with an annual growth of 35 percent. Wind power is also running strong: 119 GW installed in 2025 alone, for a cumulative total of 640 GW.
The result of this race is a structural change in the electricity system of the most populous country in the world: for the first time in history, the installed capacity of wind and solar has exceeded that of coal and gas thermal power plants. Clean sources (renewables plus nuclear) now represent 60 percent of China’s total electricity capacity.
Italy between electric transition and the primacy of Blue Flags
In this global framework, theItaly plays a non-negligible role. Despite the bureaucratic difficulties and regulatory uncertainties that often slow down plant deployment, the country continues to install new green capacity. In 2025, solar and wind in Italy they grew by 14.3 percent compared to the previous year, covering 21.1 percent of the national electricity requirement. The annual record of photovoltaic production (44.3 TWh, an increase of 25.1 percent compared to 2024) is an encouraging sign.
But perhaps the most beautiful signal comes from the sea. This year the Blue Flagsthe international recognition of the Foundation for Environmental Education which certifies the quality of water and the sustainable management of the coasts, awarded 257 Italian municipalities, eleven more than in 2025, for a total of 525 beaches, 11.6 percent of all the beaches awarded worldwide. Fourteen new entries: from Calabria (Amendolara, Montegiordano, Falerna, Locri), to Rimini in Emilia-Romagna, to Lipari and Ispica in Sicily, up to Monte Argentario in Tuscany and Teulada in Sardinia. Liguria leads the regional ranking with 35 awards. A’Italy seaside resort who, slowly but surely, learns to respect the sea.
June 5th in Baku, therefore, will not just be a day of alarm. It will also, and above all, be a day of mobilization. Because the data, as a whole, say one thing unequivocal: the energy transition is no longer a future promise. It’s already underway. The question is not whether change will come, but whether it will come fast enough. And on this, with each passing year, the answer depends on political, economic and individual choices that we still have time to make.
