Cyprus continues to fall short in global energy transition efforts, ranking 59th out of 118 countries and dead last among EU member states, according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2025 report released today.

The island scored 55.1 out of 100 on the Energy Transition Index (ETI), a marginal improvement from 2024 but far below the EU average. The ETI evaluates both current system performance and a country's readiness to transition to a sustainable, secure, and equitable energy future.

Cyprus’ system performance – which includes energy security, equity, and sustainability – stood at 58.8, with the country performing relatively better on security (63.6) than on equity (55.9) or sustainability (56.9).

However, its transition readiness score was a dismal 49.5, reflecting significant structural weaknesses. In fact, Cyprus had some of the lowest scores among high-income nations for:

• Finance & Investments: 34.9

• Innovation: 34.8

• Education & Human Capital: 38.0

Globally, the 2025 ETI showed a 1.1% year-on-year improvement, the fastest in recent years. Advanced economies continued to dominate the top of the rankings — led by Sweden, Finland, and Denmark — thanks to diversified energy mixes, long-term policy stability, and robust infrastructure.

However, only 28% of countries managed to make simultaneous progress on energy security, equity, and sustainability, underscoring the uneven pace of transition. Despite a record $2 trillion in clean energy investment in 2024, energy-related emissions reached an all-time high of 37.8 billion tonnes, while security improvements remained limited.

The report noted that Emerging Europe and Asia led improvements in transition readiness, but through different strategies. Latvia, for example, surged into the global top 10 thanks to investments in renewables and grid modernization. Meanwhile, countries like Nigeria and the UAE demonstrated how targeted reforms can drive rapid advancement.

In contrast, Cyprus’ persistent underperformance within the EU signals a widening gap between leaders and laggards in Europe.

The report concludes with five global priorities for accelerating transition efforts:

• Establish adaptive, long-term policy frameworks.

• Modernize infrastructure, particularly electricity grids.

• Invest in skilled talent and human capital.

• Scale clean technology commercialization.

• Direct more capital to developing and lagging economies.

With mounting geopolitical pressures, growing energy demand, and the rise of AI-driven infrastructure placing new stress on grids, transition readiness has become more crucial than ever. The WEF warns that if structural enablers like education, innovation, and investment continue to stagnate, countries like Cyprus risk falling further behind — not just in meeting climate targets, but also in securing affordable, reliable energy for their populations.