Solar photovoltaic energy accounted for more than 25% of global energy demand growth in 2025, making it the single largest contributor to meeting new energy needs for the first time in history, surpassing natural gas, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Overall energy demand grew 1.3% while electricity demand rose 3%, driven largely by data centres — which saw a 17% surge in consumption — and electric vehicles, whose global sales rose 20% to represent one in four new cars registered worldwide. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol noted an "unequivocal trend toward electrification," and warned that countries prioritising energy diversification will be better placed to manage volatility ahead, as global CO₂ emissions nonetheless reached a new record of over 38 billion tonnes in 2025.