"This is Economics 101. If you increase the price of a good and make it riskier, then you will drive people to search for alternatives," explained Kingsmill Bond, director of global energy think‑tank Ember. He says the higher oil price and trade barriers are exactly what is pushing nations toward renewables.

Ember’s data show that Chinese electric‑vehicle exports surged between March‑May 2025 and the same period in 2026: up 117 % in Brazil, 127 % in South Korea, 175 % in Australia and a striking 220 % in Italy.

In the United Kingdom, the country’s largest energy supplier reported a 50 % year‑over‑year rise in solar‑panel sales earlier this year, reflecting growing demand for rooftop solar as electricity costs climb.

Ember also noted that renewables generated more than one‑third of global electricity in 2025, overtaking coal for the first time in a century.

Within a month of the Iran conflict, more than 150 countries announced new clean‑energy investments for energy‑security reasons, according to a study cited by Joanna Klimczak, founder and CEO of Northern Light Capital Partners.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the oil‑price spike “the second fossil‑fuel crisis in just a few years,” warning that high prices expose the danger of over‑dependence on oil.