Earth Day and the race toward renewable energy

Earth Day 2025, which is marked on Tuesday, is more than just a symbolic occasion — it is a global call to action. This year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” is a pointed message about the transformative potential of renewable energy. Earth Day, celebrated for more than five decades, has historically galvanized public sentiment, influenced environmental policies and mobilized millions around the world. Today, it stands at the forefront of the climate crisis, urging governments, industries and individuals alike to confront one of humanity’s most urgent challenges: the future of our planet in the face of environmental degradation, energy inequality and climate change.

The significance of Earth Day lies in its ability to unify diverse peoples, movements and nations around a common cause. Since its first observance in 1970, Earth Day has served as a catalyst for landmark environmental protections such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency in the US. What began as a grassroots movement led by students and concerned citizens has evolved into a massive global event recognized in more than 190 countries and involving more than a billion participants each year.

But unlike past years, the urgency today is unmatched. From rising sea levels threatening coastal populations to record-breaking temperatures, wildfires and droughts, the planet’s distress signals are undeniable. Earth Day 2025 is a reminder that we cannot afford to delay action. This year’s theme makes it clear that energy reform lies at the center of the solution.

The theme draws a direct link between clean energy and climate justice. At its core, it is a demand to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030, a target that is both ambitious and necessary. This call emerges amid growing recognition that the world’s current reliance on fossil fuels is not only unsustainable but catastrophic. The burning of coal, oil and natural gas remains the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, trapping heat in the atmosphere and altering weather systems across the globe.

The fight against climate change is not merely technical — it is also deeply political and profoundly economic

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

Transitioning to renewable energy, such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal and tidal, represents our best shot at reversing the damage while also laying the foundation for an equitable and resilient future. The theme acknowledges that our collective power — the political will, technological innovation and human drive to change — must now be channeled toward protecting the only planet we have.

Evidence of the shift to renewables is already apparent. Globally, nearly 50 countries generate more than half of their electricity from renewable sources, offering real-world proof that clean energy is not a distant dream but a present and scalable reality. Yet the transition is uneven. While some countries are sprinting toward a fossil-free future, others are falling behind due to a lack of resources, technology or political stability. This disparity reveals one of the most critical insights of Earth Day 2025: that the fight against climate change is not merely technical — it is also deeply political and profoundly economic.

To realize the goals of Earth Day 2025, action is required on multiple fronts. First and foremost, governments must implement robust policy frameworks that support the development and deployment of renewable energy. This includes offering tax incentives for clean energy projects, removing subsidies for fossil fuels, setting binding emissions reduction targets and streamlining approval processes for new green infrastructure. Regulatory certainty is essential to attracting investment and fostering innovation in the sector.

Equally important is investment in research and development. Many of the technologies that will define our energy future — advanced solar panels, energy storage systems and carbon capture techniques — are still evolving. Public and private sector funding must accelerate this progress to make renewables more efficient, affordable and widely accessible.

But policy and technology alone are not enough. Public engagement is a critical pillar of the transition. Citizens must be informed, inspired and empowered to make changes in their daily lives that contribute to a more sustainable world. Educational programs in schools, community-led energy cooperatives and public awareness campaigns can play an essential role in shifting societal behavior.

At the individual level, simple choices — like reducing energy consumption, choosing renewable energy providers and supporting environmentally conscious businesses — can collectively create an enormous impact. Earth Day is a perfect platform to amplify these messages and encourage mass participation in the movement for clean energy.

Infrastructure development must also keep pace with ambition.

The variability of renewable energy sources like solar and wind requires smarter and more resilient energy grids. Massive investments are needed to modernize electrical systems, expand energy storage capabilities and build cross-border energy networks that ensure stable, efficient power distribution. Especially in rural and underserved regions, expanding access to reliable electricity is a prerequisite for economic development and human well-being. Renewable energy, when deployed inclusively, has the potential to transform lives by powering schools, hospitals and small businesses, lifting entire communities out of poverty.

Climate justice demands that the benefits of clean energy not be confined to the wealthy but extended equitably

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

Yet perhaps the most morally pressing issue of Earth Day 2025 is the vast energy inequality between nations. Nearly 3.8 billion people — almost half of the global population — do not meet the “modern energy minimum” of 1,000 kilowatt-hours per capita annually. In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America, families still cook over open fires, live without electricity and suffer from health conditions linked to indoor air pollution.

Without adequate energy access, education, healthcare and economic opportunities remain stunted. This disparity is not only unjust — it is unsustainable. Wealthier nations, particularly those responsible for the majority of historical carbon emissions, must step up and support the energy transitions of poorer countries.

This support must go beyond symbolic gestures. Rich nations need to provide tangible financial assistance through climate finance mechanisms, including grants, low-interest loans and green investment funds. They must also share clean technologies, knowledge and infrastructure with developing countries.

Technology transfer can enable low-income nations to leapfrog the fossil fuel phase entirely and adopt cleaner alternatives more rapidly. International cooperation should prioritize capacity-building, ensuring local institutions and governments have the training, tools and autonomy to lead their own sustainable energy transitions. Climate justice demands that the benefits of clean energy not be confined to the wealthy but extended equitably across the globe.

The existential nature of climate change reminds us that national borders are meaningless when it comes to rising temperatures, melting glaciers and biodiversity loss. The carbon emitted in one country affects the air and oceans shared by all. This is a collective crisis and it necessitates a collective response.

Earth Day 2025 is a chance for humanity to declare that it will no longer tolerate the slow violence of environmental destruction, the inertia of fossil fuel dependence or the inequity of energy poverty. It is a call to embrace the immense power we already possess — our innovation, cooperation and courage — and use it to protect our shared home.

In a nutshell, Earth Day compels us to act with urgency and resolve. Let this not be another day of rhetoric and promises. Let it be the moment we remember that the fate of the Earth lies not with a few world leaders, but in all of our hands. The power is ours, the planet is ours and the time to act is now.

• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian American political scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh