IEA: Renewables cut fossil fuel import dependence in over 100 countries

The International Energy Agency’s Renewables 2025 report highlights how the expansion of renewable energy has reduced fossil fuel import dependence across more than 100 countries. The study compares actual developments with a “low renewable-energy source” scenario in which nations stopped building wind, solar, and other non-hydropower projects after 2010.

Between 2010 and 2023, the world added about 2,500 GW of wind, solar, and other non-hydro renewables—exceeding the combined electricity capacity of the EU and the US. Nearly 80 per cent of this capacity was built in countries reliant on imported coal and gas.

According to the IEA, 107 nations have reduced their dependence on fossil fuel imports for electricity generation due to renewable deployment. Among these, 38 countries cut their reliance by more than 10 percentage points, while eight achieved reductions exceeding 30 percentage points.

The agency notes that renewables enhance energy security and economic resilience because they generate power domestically. The shift has been most evident in Europe, where nations such as Bulgaria, Romania, and Finland, once heavily reliant on Russian gas, have brought their import dependence close to zero. In the UK, imported fossil fuel reliance has dropped from 45 per cent to below 25 per cent within a decade, driven largely by wind and solar growth.

Without renewable expansion, the IEA estimates that countries including China, the EU, and the UK would now need to import significantly higher volumes of coal and gas. Each GWh of renewable electricity has displaced 2–3 GWh of fossil fuels, improving efficiency and reducing import costs.

The report also stresses that renewable investment retains capital within domestic economies and creates local employment.