Sustainability Statistics 2026: 25+ Sourced Facts & Trends

Sustainability shifted from a corporate side project to the largest capital-allocation story in the global economy in 2025 and 2026. The International Energy Agency now tracks more money flowing into clean energy than into oil, gas, and coal combined, renewables overtook coal in the global power mix for the first time in the history of the modern grid, and electric vehicles crossed the quarter-mark of new car sales worldwide.

This page collects 30 statistics on clean energy investment, renewable generation, battery storage, EV adoption, corporate climate commitments, and consumer attitudes toward sustainable products — each one sourced to a named research organization (IEA, BloombergNEF, Ember, the Science Based Targets initiative, NielsenIQ, and others) with a live link. Where two credible sources reported different figures for the same trend, both are noted rather than picking one and hiding the disagreement.

Clean Energy Investment & Finance

• Global clean energy investment reached an estimated $2.2 trillion in 2026, nearly double the roughly $1.2 trillion directed to oil, natural gas, and coal — the widest gap on record. — IEA, World Energy Investment 2026
• Total global energy investment (clean energy plus fossil fuels) is on track to hit $3.4 trillion in 2026, a 5% rise over 2025. — IEA, World Energy Investment 2026
• Global energy transition investment hit a record $2.3 trillion in 2025, up 8% from 2024. — BloombergNEF
• Electrified transport was the single largest slice of that 2025 transition spending at $893 billion, ahead of renewable power generation ($690 billion) and grid investment ($483 billion). — BloombergNEF
• Even as overall transition investment grew, spending on renewable power generation assets fell 9.5% year-on-year in 2025 to that $690 billion figure, as investors reassessed risk in wind and solar project finance. — BloombergNEF
• US sustainable-investing assets reached $6.6 trillion explicitly marketed as ESG or sustainability-focused, out of $61.7 trillion in total US professionally managed assets. — US SIF, Sustainable Investing Trends 2025/2026

Renewable Power Generation & Capacity

• Renewables supplied 33.8% of global electricity generation in 2025 — the first time renewables have topped one-third of the world's power mix. — Ember, Global Electricity Review 2026
• Coal's share of global power generation fell below one-third for the first time, as renewables overtook coal in the mix. — Ember, Global Electricity Review 2026
• Global solar generation grew by a record 636 TWh in 2025, reaching 2,778 TWh — a 30% year-on-year increase. — Ember, Global Electricity Review 2026
• Solar and wind combined generated 17% of the world's electricity in 2025: solar reached 8.7% of global generation (nearly matching nuclear's 8.9%) while wind reached 8.5%. — Ember, Global Electricity Review 2026
• The world added roughly 800 GW of new renewable power capacity in 2025, a 16% increase over 2024 and the 23rd consecutive annual record. — IEA, Renewables 2025
• Solar PV alone accounted for roughly 605 GW of that new capacity — about 80% of the year's total increase — while wind added 159 GW. — IEA, Renewables 2025

Battery Storage & Grid Buildout

• Global battery storage additions hit a record 108 GW in 2025, up roughly 40% from 2024. — IEA, Battery Storage Commentary
• Utility-scale battery storage made up about 87 GW of 2025's additions — roughly four-fifths of the global total. — IEA, Battery Storage Commentary
• Cumulative global battery storage capacity is now about 11 times higher than it was in 2021. — IEA, Battery Storage Commentary
• Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries accounted for roughly 90% of global battery storage deployments in 2025. — IEA, Global Energy Review 2026
• China led all countries with just over 63 GW of new battery storage capacity in 2025 — about a third more than in 2024. — IEA, Global Energy Review 2026

Electric Vehicles & Transport

• Global EV sales topped 20 million units in 2025, and EVs' share of new car sales worldwide exceeded 25% for the first time. — IEA, Global EV Outlook 2025
• China accounted for roughly 60% of all EVs sold worldwide in 2025, with EVs making up about 55% of new car sales within China itself. — IEA, Global EV Outlook 2025
• European EV sales rose 30% to more than 4 million units in 2025, rebounding after sales stagnated in 2024. — IEA, Global EV Outlook 2025
• Under the IEA's Stated Policies Scenario, global EV sales share is projected to rise from 25% in 2025 to over 50% by 2035. — IEA, Global EV Outlook 2025

Corporate Climate Commitments & ESG

• 72% of Fortune Global 500 companies held at least one climate target in 2025, up from just 24% in 2019. — Climate Impact Partners, Fortune Global 500 Climate Commitments
• Corporate climate target-setting rose 40% in 2025, with Asia emerging as a new center of gravity for new commitments. — Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
• The number of companies holding both near-term and net-zero targets increased 61% year-on-year in 2025, and more than 10,000 companies worldwide now hold SBTi-validated targets as of January 2026. — Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), via ESG Dive
• Only 17% of Fortune 500 companies currently use the SBTi Net-Zero Standard specifically, a slight dip from 18% the prior year. — Anthesis Group, citing SBTi data

Consumer Attitudes & the Green Tech Market

• 92% of consumers say sustainability is important when choosing a brand. — NielsenIQ, Green Divide report
• 94% of consumers say they are likely to stay loyal to a brand that offers complete transparency. — NielsenIQ, Green Divide report
• 55% of consumers say environmental responsibility is very or extremely important when choosing which brand to buy. — NielsenIQ, Green Divide report
• Over half of consumers say they are willing to pay a premium for eco-friendly tech and durable goods, per NielsenIQ's 2025 spending-trends report — echoing an earlier Nielsen finding that put willingness-to-pay-more for sustainable goods at 66%. — NielsenIQ, 2025 Tech & Durables Trends
• Market-research estimates put the global green technology and sustainability market at roughly $25–30 billion in 2025, with multiple research firms forecasting a 20%+ compound annual growth rate through the early 2030s — estimates vary by firm depending on how the market is scoped. — Precedence Research, Green Technology and Sustainability Market

Frequently asked questions

Is clean energy really outspending fossil fuels now?

Yes, at the global level. The IEA's World Energy Investment 2026 report found clean energy investment reached about $2.2 trillion in 2026, roughly double the $1.2 trillion going to oil, gas, and coal — the widest gap on record and the first time clean energy has out-invested fossil fuels by close to two to one.

Have renewables actually overtaken coal in global electricity generation?

In 2025, yes, for the first time in the history of the modern power system. Ember's Global Electricity Review 2026 found renewables (solar, wind, hydro, and other sources) supplied 33.8% of world electricity in 2025, while coal's share fell below one-third.

What share of new cars sold worldwide are now electric?

The IEA's Global EV Outlook 2025 found EVs exceeded 25% of new car sales globally in 2025, with total EV sales topping 20 million units for the year — up sharply from roughly 1 in 5 new cars just a year earlier.

How many big companies actually have net-zero targets?

It depends on the bar. Climate Impact Partners found 72% of Fortune Global 500 companies held at least one climate target in 2025, but the Science Based Targets initiative notes only 17% of Fortune 500 companies use its stricter Net-Zero Standard specifically — so broad climate commitments are common, but rigorously validated net-zero plans are still a minority.

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Every figure above is attributed to its cited third-party source and reflects the most recent data we could find at the time of writing; statistics change, so follow the source links to verify. Compiled by the Tolodora Editorial Team — we don't fabricate data.