By Bunmi Yekini
Conflict in the Middle East is exacting a heavy human and economic toll while unintentionally accelerating a global shift toward renewable energy, the United Nations’ top climate official said on Thursday.
Speaking at the opening of High-Level Energy Transition Dialogues co-hosted by the COP31 Presidency and the International Energy Agency in Paris, Simon Stiell said the fallout from war has rippled through the global economy, driving up fossil fuel costs and squeezing households, businesses and governments.
“The fossil fuel cost crisis now has its foot on the throat of the global economy, and stagflation is on the march,” Stiell said, describing how surging prices linked to geopolitical tensions have destabilised economies far beyond the conflict zone.
Yet the crisis is also producing what he called an “immense irony”: countries and industries long reliant on fossil fuels are being pushed more rapidly toward cleaner energy alternatives.
Global investment in clean energy is now set to be roughly double that of fossil fuels, he said, while solar generation recorded a sharp increase over the past year. Despite uneven progress, the economic case for renewables has become increasingly compelling as energy security concerns mount.
“Renewables offer safer, cheaper, cleaner energy that cannot be held captive by narrow shipping straits or global conflicts,” Stiell said.
He pointed to countries with strong renewable resources, including Spain and Pakistan, as being more insulated from recent price shocks, reinforcing the strategic value of domestic clean energy capacity.
Governments across major economies, including China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Germany and the United Kingdom, are accelerating renewable deployment as a cornerstone of energy security, he added. In France, financing for electrification is already doubling.
The remarks come ahead of the COP31 UN climate conference scheduled for November in Antalya, where countries are expected to step up commitments following the latest global assessment of climate action.
Stiell warned, however, that short-term responses to the energy crisis must not lock in long-term fossil fuel dependence. Instead, governments should work to decouple electricity prices from fossil fuels so that cheaper renewable energy can lower consumer costs.
A major obstacle remains financing, particularly for developing countries seeking to expand clean energy and climate resilience. Debt burdens and limited access to capital are slowing progress, he said, calling for urgent delivery of international climate finance commitments and a roadmap to mobilise $1.3 trillion.
He also urged stronger cooperation through the Paris Agreement’s “Action Agenda,” which brings together governments, investors and civil society to translate climate pledges into concrete projects.
Priority areas include investment in power grids and energy storage, as well as cutting methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas, to achieve rapid climate benefits.
Stiell further highlighted risks to global food security, noting that fertilizer shortages linked to the conflict could leave up to 45 million people facing acute hunger this year.
“Coalitions of the willing are already forging ahead,” he said, pointing to ongoing international efforts, including recent meetings on fossil fuels in Colombia.
“With COP31 in Türkiye providing a global stage, we must seize this moment,” Stiell said. “We have no time to lose.”