The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is tightening global fuel markets and lifting prices, a ripple effect that extends far beyond the region.

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Director‑General Francesco La Camera told UN News that the crisis is prompting a re‑examination of what “energy security” means, moving away from reliance on oil and gas reserves toward diversified, decentralized systems.

He noted that historically energy security meant stockpiling fossil fuels, but today countries seek autonomy through renewables that are owned by many actors and sourced from numerous locations.

La Camera highlighted that nations with higher renewable shares have weathered the current crisis better, citing Spain’s relative resilience and Norway’s close‑to‑half share of road transport now electric.

While the Paris Agreement originally drove renewable uptake, present energy‑security concerns are now reinforcing that momentum, with IRENA estimating that about 90 percent of new global power capacity added each year is renewable.

Looking ahead, La Camera warned that demand growth may outpace supply, widening the 2030 gap unless renewable capacity triples and electricity’s share of final energy reaches 35 percent by 2035, a target he expects to feature at COP31.

He identified three priority areas for accelerating the transition: modern, AI‑enabled grid infrastructure; a level playing field that removes fossil‑fuel subsidies; and workforce retraining for the new energy system.

For developing nations facing high financing costs and weak grids, La Camera called on multilateral lenders to prioritize infrastructure and grid modernisation to enable the renewable shift.

Summing up his message, he urged immediate action on “grid, grid, grid” – stressing interconnectivity, flexibility and balance as the most urgent step for global energy security.