13 March, Tokyo, Japan | The Japan Wind Power Association (JWPA) (Tokyo, Japan; President: Masaru...
GWEC Issue Tracker
GWEC Wind and Energy Security Tracker
Keep updated with energy security issues impacting the wind industry across the globe.
About The Tracker
Around the world, the current polycrisis of geopolitical conflicts, energy security, climate change, and economic uncertainty is impacting households, communities and industries. Wind energy is central to solving these challenges and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. In a volatile global environment, accelerating the deployment of clean, limitless, domestic and secure energy sources like wind is the only solution for countries to achieve energy security, affordability and resilience.
GWEC's Wind and Energy Security Tracker is a resource to monitor international events impacting the energy security across the world, and share solutions that will support the rapid deployment of wind energy.

A Wind Action Plan to Break the Cycle of Energy Crises
Policymakers should urgently review their exposure to future fossil fuel price shocks, and implement emergency policy packages to diversify power sources and scale renewable energy deployment at unprecedented speed.
Building upon the Global Renewables Alliance’s Renewables Action Plan to accelerate renewables, policymakers can take practical steps within the next 12 months to unlock large-scale wind deployment and strengthen national resilience.
- Fast-track emergency permitting
- Address grid and storage blockers
- Mobilise financing now
- Move swiftly to electrification
- Scale up supply chains
The Infographic
A Five Point Plan To Accelerate Wind Energy
The Five Point Action Plan
Fast-track emergency permitting
Accelerate regulatory approvals by urgently streamlining permitting and consenting procedures for wind, renewables and storage projects to deliver a major expansion of capacity within the next 36 months.
Address grid and storage blockers
Expand, modernise and optimise electricity grids and storage systems to integrate new wind capacity. Significantly shorten lengthy grid connection queues and accelerate grid access by guaranteeing priority dispatch for wind and other renewables.
Mobilise financing now
Unlock and de-risk public and private investment for wind and other renewable energy projects and associated infrastructure, by introducing preferential interest rates and financing, decreasing financial institution lending limits, creating renewable lending windows, and redirecting capital away from carbon intensive industries.
Move swiftly to electrification
Introduce and implement national strategies to reduce fossil fuel dependence by accelerating end-use electrification and system integration across transport, heating and industry, supported by flexibility markets, demand response and short- and long-duration energy storage.
Scale up supply chains
Develop robust industrial strategies for supply chain development with clear milestones to expand renewable, grid and storage deployment and stockpiling.
Create clear demand signals and offtake frameworks, increase pipeline visibility, and generate long-term revenue certainty, to promote necessary investments in critical manufacturing and labour force capacity.
Download and share the key messages on your social media channels
LATEST BULLETIN ON IMPACTS TO THE WIND INDUSTRY
The Impact on Transport and Logistics Costs
Latest updates on the impact on
logistics and supply chain for wind
Last updated: 18/03/2026
- Several ports and logistics hubs in the Gulf have experienced operational disruptions following drone strikes and security incidents, including temporary suspensions at major UAE Fujairah port, further delaying shipments of energy commodities and industrial materials.[1]
- Disruptions are affecting shipments of oil and other commodities, while broader shipping constraints and rerouting across Gulf trade routes are also expected to delay industrial materials and equipment flows, potentially including components for renewable energy projects[HR1] [AB2] .[2]
- Insurance costs to sail through the Strait of Hormuz have in certain cases increased to 5% (initially around 0.1-0.5%)[3] This has caused a significant strain on overall costs of transport. In addition, several maritime insurers are cancelling war risk cover for ships operating in the region[4]
- GPS jamming, ships disabling tracking systems (AIS), and false flag signalling are creating major navigation and identification challenges, increasing the risk of accidents and miscalculation in the Strait of Hormuz and spilling into the Indian Ocean.[5][AB3]
- The Aframax tanker Lorax became one of the first vessels carrying non-Iranian crude to transit the Strait following the escalation of the crisis, transporting Abu Dhabi’s Das crude to Karachi. This development suggests an increasingly selective resumption of traffic through the Strait. The limited number of transits indicates that, while passage remains possible, shipping flows are still severely constrained.[6]
Impact on the Economic and Investment Environment
Latest updates on the impact to the economic
and investment environment for wind
Last updated: 12/03/2026
- Economists estimate a 10% increase in energy prices lasting 1 year would raise global inflation by 0.40 pp (40 basis points) and reduce global GDP growth by 0.1–0.2 pp.
- The Strait of Hormuz carries ~25% of seaborne oil and ~20% of LNG shipments. Each 1% drop in oil supply increases oil prices by about 4%, which may in turn impact costs across energy price-linked sectors like transportation, utilities, industrial production and more.
- Elevated inflation and energy prices could persist until late 2026 or early 2027, if recovery to oil production and infrastructure damage is slow. This could then delay rate-easing measures by central banks and slow down GDP growth.
Impact on the
Metals Supply Chain
Latest updates on the impact on
the global metals supply chain
Last updated: 18/03/2026
- Aluminium: Disruptions in the Middle East—a key global supplier—are driving prices to a four-year high.[1]
- Copper: Limited direct impact due to the region’s small market share, though prolonged conflict may weigh indirectly via broader economic slowdown.
- Steel: Supply disruptions and logistics constraints, particularly from Iran-previously exporting over 10% of global semi-finished steel, are tightening markets and significantly increase global steel prices.[2]
The Energy-Water
Nexus
Latest updates on the impact to
water resources in the MENA region
Last updated: 12/03/2026
- Fuel disruptions and the targeting of water desalination infrastructure across the region have highlighted the strain on the energy-water nexus. The Middle East is classified as highly water scarce.[1]
- Renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar PV have the lowest water footprints in comparison to conventional generation which requires water input for cooling [2]
Energy Security News Tracker
Find the latest reads on energy security from the world's media here.
Wind project development status in Middle East
Last updated: 12/03/2026
Compared with other regions Middle East is small region in wind power installations. By the end of 2024, 5,147 MW wind power capacity was in operation in this region, less than 1% of total global wind power installations. However, this region has a great potential in onshore wind development. 2025 saw more than 200 onshore wind turbines, totalling 2,000 MW, were installed, bringing the cumulative installations in this region to 7,413 MW.
Currently 2,539 MW of onshore wind capacity in five countries across nine wind projects are under construction in this region, most of that capacity is expected to be installed in 2026 if the construction work is not disrupted by the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Additionally, a total of 5,295 MW onshore wind capacity across five projects was awarded through the auction to Chinese wind turbine OEMs last year. Those projects are expected to be built in the next two years. According to GWEC Market Intelligence’s latest survey completed in early March, no wind turbine has been shipped into those project sites yet.
Based on the existing project pipeline and announced auction plans, GWEC Market Intelligence projected in its Q3 2025 Outlook that around 20 GW of onshore wind capacity could be installed in this region by the end of 2030. However, the current conflict in this region has certainly brought the uncertainty to the wind industry and GWEC Market Intelligence will continue to monitor the situation and update our outlook for this region in our Q1 2026 Outlook, which is planned to be released in mid-April.
Contact Our Team For Media Enquiries
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communications@gwec.net

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Global Wind Industry Statement on Green Recovery
In May 2020, the global wind industry, representing 98% of the total global wind power installed capacity, published a statement highlighting how wind power can support a green recovery, and outlining key policy recommendations to maximise the socioeconomic benefits of wind power across the world.
Wind power is a key building block for economic recovery trom the impact of COVID-19, which will enable governments to renew critical infrastructure for a sustainable future. The wind industry will help to deliver the jobs, clean and affordable power and energy security needed for a sustainable economic recovery.
Download the statement in 9 different languages!
Policy Recommendations
A robust policy framework is key to accelerating wind power growth at the necessary levels to meet Paris-compliant decarbonisation scenarios. Policy is also critical to realising the environmental and socioeconomic benefits of wind power, including job creation, local investment, development of critical infrastructure, public health savings, energy security and much more.
Discover our policy recommendations below.

Policy Recommendations
Introduce meaningful carbon pricing on an international basis and promote a level playing field across energy sources to allow the accelerated deployment of renewables and electrification of sectors such as transport, heating and cooling and industry.
Ensure that adequate investment flows towards critical infrastructure, including power systems and grid infrastructure, at a low cost of finance and with adherence to sustainability standards.
Provide strong support for innovation and R&D programs in order to allow the accelerated deployment of the next generation of wind turbine platforms.
Introduce clear criteria that investment schemes for public and private bodies are built upon the principle of “No Harm” for society and the environment.
Implement evidence-based decision-making for government-backed investment, guided by metrics such as impact on GDP, envrionmental impact, resource depletion, social value and system resilience.
Safeguard institutional and multilateral lending and relief funds by instituting reporting requirements for sustainability and climate-related disclosures, in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.
Move swiftly to scale-up green financing for emerging markets and developing economies, which are facing accelerated capital flight and growing debt that hinders their clean energy transition.
Three of New York City’s five public employee pension funds voted to divest $4 billion from securities related to fossil-fuel companies.
The latest Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) status report, dated October 2020, highlights the need for greater transparency and climate-related disclosures. The report also shows that energy companies are leading on disclosure, with an average level of TCFD-aligned disclosures of 40% for energy companies in 2019.
Source: https://assets.bbhub.io/company/sites/60/2020/10/TCFD-2020-Status-Report-Press-Release_FINAL.pdf
In light of the financial resources required to combat COVID-19, the IMF approved a six-month tranche of debt service relief for 25 member countries in April 2020, followed by a second six-month tranche of relief in October 2020. The World Bank Group and IMF have urged G20 countries to establish a Debt Service Suspension Initiative.
Source: https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/10/02/pr20304-imf-executive-board-extends-immediate-debt-service-relief-28-eligible-lics-six-months; https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/debt/brief/covid-19-debt-service-suspension-initiative
In November 2020, the NSW Government in Australia announced it would allocate $32 billion to invest in renewable energy infrastructure over the next decade, which will deliver around 12 GW of new transmission capacity, 3 GW of new renewable energy capacity, generate 9,100 jobs, as well as help save households an average of $130 on their electricity bills each year.
Source: https://energy.nsw.gov.au/government-and-regulation/electricity-infrastructure-roadmap
The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) is pushing for a green economic recovery plan, which should consider renewable energy as one of the main components of the government economic stimulus package post-COVID-19.
The Canadian government’s Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) provides bridge financing to companies with revenues in excess of $300 million a year, with recipient companies required to commit to publishing annual climate-related disclosure reports consistent with the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, including how their future operations will support environmental sustainability and national climate goals.
“Investment in offshore wind expected to show strong growth” – IEA: World Energy Investment, 2021
“$465 Million to Expand Energy Access and Renewable Energy Integration in West Africa” World Bank Group, 2021
“Delivering on the $100 billion climate finance commitment and transforming climate finance.” Independent Expert Group on Climate Finance UNFCCC. December 2020
“Consultation Document.” Taskforce on Voluntary Carbon Markets. November 2020
“COVID-19 Recovery Package Analyses.” Global Renewables Congress. 2021.
“Aligning Stimulus with Energy Transformation.” Wärtsilä. October 2020.
“Will COVID-19 fiscal recovery packages accelerate or retard progress on climate change?” Hepburn, C., O’Callaghan, B., Stern, N., Stiglitz, J., and Zenghelis, D. (2020), Smith School Working Paper 20-02.
“Beyond Crisis: Renewable Energy for a Low-carbon Future.” IRENA. 2020.
“Report: Green recovery plans boost income, employment and GDP.” We Mean Business Coalition. October 2020.
“Making the green recovery work for jobs, income and growth.” OECD. October 2020.
“Green Finance Strategies for Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery in Southeast Asia: Greening Recoveries for Planet and People”. Asian Development Bank. October 2020.
“Greening the Recovery“. IMF. 2020.
“A Toolbox for Sustainable Crisis Response Measures for Central Banks and Supervisors“. Grantham Research Insititue on Climate Change and the Environment, The Centre for Sustainable Finance at SOAS, and INSPIRE. June 2020.
“Planning a Sustainable Post-Pandemic Recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean“. Cardenas, M., Ayala, J.J.G. UNDP. September 2020.

Policy Recommendations
Implement regulation that is fit for purpose, including market design that provides long-term visibility and streamlined permitting that enables rapid ramp up of deployment.
Safeguard existing and awarded wind projects, avoid retroactive changes to approved remuneration schemes, and secure continuation of planned clean energy auctions.
Create adequate frameworks to allow extensive and efficient repowering of older wind power plants.
Enable and promote end-consumer 100% renewable energy demand in order to allow corporates to ramp up and meet their sustainability objectives. Remove regulatory barriers where these exist in order to enable corporates to freely purchase renewable energy.
Dis-incentivise investment in polluting, expensive and aging fossil fuel assets by introducing pricing mechanisms which reflect the true economic, social, environmental and health costs of fossil fuel generation and completely phase-out fossil fuel subsidies.
Increase ambitions to decarbonise all economic sectors through electrification.
Reject proposals to dilute or recall legislation for environmental protection.
In March 2020, India issued “Must Run” status for wind farms to ensure that wind projects can continue to run as an essential service, and granted a time extension for the scheduled commissioning dates of wind projects, in light of pandemic-related delays.
Source: https://mnre.gov.in/img/documents/uploads/file_f-1585207142578.pdf; https://mnre.gov.in/img/documents/uploads/file_f-1585207142578.pdf
Members of the wind industry are calling for repowering regulations to be streamlined across Europe, allowing older wind farms to be refitted with a reduced number of modern and more efficient turbines. This would extend project lifetimes so that clean energy growth can continue, and progress towards renewable energy capacity targets can be sustained.
Source: https://windeurope.org/newsroom/press-releases/what-happens-when-wind-turbines-get-old-new-industry-guidance-document-for-dismantling-and-decommissioning/; https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/distance-rules-a-big-downside-to-repowering-potential-rwe-renewables-dotzenrath/2-1-922226
Nigeria ended subsidies on gasoline in 2020, saving the government as much as US$2.6 billion per year.
In 2020, governments in China, Japan, South Korea, Hungary and South Africa made pledges to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 or 2060. Commitments to reach net zero emissions from regional governments and businesses have doubled in 2020, compared to 2019. These commitments will require comprehensive policy frameworks which emphasise sustainable growth and science-based approaches for successful implementation.
Source: https://unfccc.int/news/commitments-to-net-zero-double-in-less-than-a-year
In November 2020, the UK set out its “Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution” which advances offshore wind, accelerates the shift to zero emission electric transport and supports electrified heating to decarbonise buildings.
In April 2020, China announced that it would extend current subsidies for electric vehicles until the end of 2022 as well as strengthen policy frameworks around the electrification of transport to increase uptake and demand for electric vehicles.
Source: http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2020-04/23/content_5505502.htm
The state-owned NTPC in India announced in September 2020 that it will no longer acquire land for greenfield coal-fuelled power projects as part of its pivot to renewable energy.
The Japanese government has allocated one billion JPY for building a decarbonised regional system for delivery goods (logistics), increasing the local demand for electricity produced by renewable energy.
Source: http://www.env.go.jp/earth/earth/ondanka/energy-taisakutokubetsu-kaikeir02/matr02-01-04f2.pdf
India’s power ministry extended the waiver of inter-state transmission systems (ISTS) charges and losses on supply of power generated from wind and solar until 30 June 2023.
“Biggest leasing round to date.” ScotWind 1 leasing round results. Offshore Wind Scotland. January 2022.
‘More digital services and stronger safety nets.’ IEA Korean New Deal – Digital New Deal, Green New Deal and Stronger Safety Net. July 2021.
“Circular economy for the wind sector (CEWS)” ORE Catapult, 2021
“Global update: Pandemic recovery with just a hint of green.” Climate Action Tracker. September 2020.
“Greenness of Stimulus Index.” Vivid Economics. 2020
“Global Renewables Outlook: Energy transformation 2050.” IRENA. April 2020.
“Global Wind Report 2019.” Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). March 2020.
“Beijing Declaration on Wind Energy”. October 2020.
“Power of Our Ocean”. Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition. December 2020.

Policy Recommendations
Capitalise on the enormous potential for the wind energy industry to create direct and indirect jobs by prioritising renewable energy for investment.
Re-skill workers who may be dislocated from sectors with a declining business case for employment in a growing sector like offshore wind.
Commit to a just and inclusive energy transition by ensuring that recovery plans focus on equitable distribution of resources, training and skills development across genders, minority groups and marginalised communities.
Maintain health and safety as a core pillar of wind energy and workforce planning.
‘Harness the full potential of the social and economic co-benefits of renewables and to build the skills base needed for the energy transition’ – COBENEFITS project in collaboration with the Sustainable Energy Jobs Working Group under IRENA’s Coalition for Action 2021
“Achieving a future that is sustainable and inclusive and growing is so compelling an idea that today’s leaders owe it to future generations to act immediately” – Our Future Lives and Livelihoods: Sustainable and Inclusive and Growing. McKinsey. 2021
“Changes in the energy sector must support social and economic development and improve quality of life” – People Centred Transitions, IEA, 2021
Encourage ‘meaningful and equal participation of women in climate action’ – Glasgow Climate Pact, UNFCCC, 2021
South Korea’s Green New Deal, introduced in 2020, commits around US$61 billion to boost wind and renewable energy capacity and expand the green mobility sector by 2025.
In December 2020, the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) and RenewableUK launched a new training programme to fast-track the transition of skilled workers from the offshore oil and gas sector to the offshore wind sector.
A 2021 study from UC Berkeley and Tsinghua University found that a faster transition to wind and renewable energy in China would result in multiplier effects, including expenditure shifting, job creation and higher economic efficiency, which could add as much as 7.5% to national GDP and 5.9% to total jobs in China by 2030 compared to business-as-usual.
Source: https://www.enerarxiv.org/page/thesis.html?id=2993; http://chinadialogue.net/en/energy/china-can-benefit-from-a-more-ambitious-2030-solar-and-wind-target/
In June 2020, the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development launched a just transition initiative to share the benefits of a green economy transition and protect vulnerable countries, regions and people from falling behind.
Source: https://www.ebrd.com/what-we-do/just-transition-initiative
The “Green Collar” portal is a new initiative set up in October 2020 that lists jobs in the environmental sector in South East Asia, from renewable energy to sustainable agriculture, to highlight opportunities for meaningful ‘green’ employment as countries try to revive economies hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: https://greencollar.careers/
The Queensland government in Australia announced a $17 million grant as part of COVID-19 stimulus packages to establish a new “state-of-the-art” renewable energy training facility in Brisbane to provide training for 750 apprentices a year and create new green jobs.
Accelerating renewables could bring 3 million jobs to Latin America as region battles COVID-19. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE) will boost ties to put the renewables driven energy transformation at the heart of Latin America and the Caribbean’s economic recovery following the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Wind can power 3.3 million jobs over the next five years.” GWEC. 2021.
“Restore progress towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals: A human-centred approach to building back better.” International Labour Organization. 2020.
“SDG Business Hub” WBCSD.
“How a just transition can speed the race to net zero.” Nick Robins. UNFCCC Race to Zero. October 2020.
“Post-COVID recovery: An agenda for resilience, development and equality.” IRENA. June 2020.
“Power of Our Ocean”. Ocean Renewable Energy Action Coalition. December 2020.
“Making the green recovery work for jobs, income and growth”. OECD. October 2020.
“Best Practices for Gender Diversity in Talent Recruitment”. Women in Wind Global Leadership Program. September 2020.
Spread the word about how wind power can support a #GreenRecovery!