Global investment in clean fuels must quadruple by 2030 for countries to meet their clean energy ambitions, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum, released in Switzerland last week (January 15, 2026).
The report underscores clean fuels as a critical — and still underfunded — pillar of the global energy transition, with the potential to strengthen energy security, create jobs, and cut emissions in transport and industry.
Clean fuels, which include biofuels, hydrogen derivatives, and lower-carbon fossil fuels, currently account for just over 1% of global clean energy investment, despite liquid and gaseous fuels supplying 56% of global energy demand today.
Titled Fuelling the Future: How Business, Finance and Policy can Accelerate the Clean Fuels Market, the report was developed in collaboration with Bain & Company. It outlines policy, financing, and business measures needed to turn global ambitions into bankable, economically viable projects that can scale within existing energy systems.
A newly launched Digital Playbook accompanies the report, offering practical case studies and implementation examples to help governments and companies accelerate project development.
“Clean fuels represent an important pathway to advancing sustainability while continuing to supply the energy required by the global economic system,” said Roberto Bocca, Head of the Centre for Energy and Materials, World Economic Forum.
“Our new research shows that the clean fuels industry can build on existing infrastructure to deliver durable environmental benefits alongside economic value,” he added.
Momentum around clean fuels is growing, the report noted, citing initiatives such as the “Belém 4x” pledge, through which more than 25 countries committed at COP30 to quadruple clean fuel production and use by 2035.
However, the report stressed that achieving this ambition will require coordinated action across policy, finance, and industry to unlock a larger pipeline of viable projects that can deliver returns to investors and long-term value to national economies.
“Over the last few years, the question among business leaders in the industry has evolved from should we invest, to how and when,” said Cate Hight, partner in the Energy and Natural Resource practice at Bain & Company.
“We find that those who succeed generating value are rethinking how to approach projects focusing on customers, embracing flexibility and partnerships, and mitigating investment risk,” Hight added.
Despite rising interest, many clean fuel projects continue to face barriers, including high upfront costs, uncertain demand, fragmented value chains, and uneven policy environments across regions.
The report said overcoming these challenges will require predictable, performance-based policies, stronger public-private risk-sharing mechanisms, and closer collaboration across value chains to better align supply and demand.
The analysis draws on technical and economic modelling, expert consultations, and contributions from more than 30 organizations involved in the Forum’s Future of Clean Fuels initiative. Case studies span Latin America, Europe, and Southeast Asia, covering fuel types from biofuels and biogases to synthetic fuels and hydrogen derivatives.
The report forms part of the Forum’s broader efforts to scale clean energy solutions through initiatives such as the Future of Clean Fuels initiative, the First Movers Coalition, Airports of Tomorrow, and the Transitioning Industrial Clusters initiative.
The World Economic Forum’s 56th Annual Meeting, held January 19–23, 2026 in Davos-Klosters, convenes leaders from business, government, international organizations, civil society, and academia under the theme A Spirit of Dialogue. Click here to learn more.