London – September 19, 2026 -- Generation Investment Management published its 10th annual Sustainability Trends Report on Sept. 17, warning that fossil fuel dependence has become an untenable strategic liability after conflicts in the Middle East and Europe rattled global energy markets for the second time in four years.
Strait of Hormuz disruption exposed a quarter of global seaborne oil trade to risk
The report states that the Strait of Hormuz disruption bottled up roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade, a third of seaborne fertiliser trade, and nearly a fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade. Shortages of critical materials such as helium disrupted semiconductor production and raised costs for MRI-reliant healthcare providers, while fertiliser supply concerns threatened global food production.
Al Gore says fossil fuel reliance now carries security and cost-of-living risks
Al Gore, Chairman of Generation Investment Management, said high oil and gas prices have rewarded energy executives with outsized profits while consumers face skyrocketing fuel and food costs. He argued that energy security, economic stability and climate action have become the same imperative rather than separate policy agendas.
Clean energy adoption accelerated sharply across major markets in 2025-2026
Electric-car sales in Europe rose 30% in 2025, while Chinese solar technology exports to Africa jumped 120% in the first quarter of 2026 versus a year earlier. Heat-pump sales across 11 European countries increased around 17% over the same period, and induction cookstove sales in India rose tenfold.
China dominates clean-tech manufacturing while remaining the top fossil fuel consumer
China remains the world's largest consumer of fossil fuels and largest greenhouse gas emitter, yet also leads global production of solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and large-scale batteries. The report notes Europe retains leadership in offshore wind, and think tank Ember estimates Europe could meet domestic demand for wind turbines, EVs and heat pumps through its own manufacturing base with the right policies.
Grid infrastructure now lags behind clean power generation capacity
Solar output jumped 30% in 2025 and global battery-storage capacity additions rose at least 40%, but the report identifies the power grid as the emerging bottleneck constraining further deployment. Clean electricity sources grew fast enough in 2025 to satisfy all global demand growth on the power grid.
One in four new cars sold worldwide in 2025 had a plug
The report identifies a tipping point in road transport: one in four new cars sold globally in 2025 had a power plug, and petrol-only car sales peaked in 2017 and will not recover to that level. Heat pumps are also scaling into industrial applications, with new steam and heat projects underway in Finland, Germany and the United States.
Clean-energy investment hit a record $2.2 trillion in 2025
Global clean-energy investment reached $2.2 trillion in 2025, roughly double the amount invested in fossil fuels, according to the report. The International Energy Agency estimates annual clean energy investment must reach $4.5 trillion by the early 2030s to meet the 1.5°C warming limit, putting current financing at roughly halfway to that target.