International Energy Agency (IEA) News

Despite a slowing global economy and lockdowns in China, soaring natural gas prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are propping up the world’s use of coal this year. The world’s consumption of coal is set to rise slightly in 2022, taking it back to the record level it reached nearly a decade ago, according to an IEA report, which notes that significant uncertainty hangs over the outlook for coal as a result of slowing economic growth and energy market turbulence. Ener...

The International Energy Agency has been warning for many months that the world is experiencing the first truly global energy crisis in history and the coming months will be particularly challenging. natural gas crisis The natural gas crisis in Europe has been building for a while, and Russia’s role in it has been clear from the beginning. In September 2021, five months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the IEA pointed out that Russia was preventing a significant amount of gas f...

The world’s electricity demand growth is slowing sharply in 2022 from its strong recovery the previous year as economic growth weakens and energy prices soar following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the IEA’s latest Electricity Market Report. Global electricity demand Global electricity demand is expected to grow by 2.4% in 2022 after last year’s 6% increase, bringing it in line with its average growth rate over the five years before the COVID-19 pandem...

High-level discussions among Ministers from Australia, Japan, India, Indonesia, Samoa, the US, and other countries are informed by new IEA reports on supply chains for technologies such as solar panels and batteries. Sydney Energy Forum Global energy and climate leaders are meeting at the Sydney Energy Forum, which is co-hosted by the Australian Government and the IEA, to discuss how to scale up and strengthen supply chains for the clean energy technologies needed for a secure and affordable t...

China has driven down solar PV manufacturing costs, helping spur the vital technology’s success while at the same time resulting in a major concentration of global PV supplies. Ensuring a secure transition to net zero emissions will require increased efforts to expand and diversify global production of solar panels whose global supply chains are currently heavily concentrated in China, the IEA said in a new special report. Solar panel production Chinese industrial and innovation policie...

High prices and supply disruptions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine lead to downward revision and cast doubt on natural gas’ prospects in energy transitions. Global natural gas consumption is expected to contract slightly in 2022 and grow slowly over the following three years as Russia’s war in Ukraine pushes up prices and fuels fears of further supply disruptions, according to the IEA’s latest Gas Market Report.  Carbon-intensive fuels Record high gas price...

More than 180 participants from 33 countries, including 9 of the 10 ASEAN Member States, will attend the Singapore-International Energy Agency (IEA) Regional Training Programme on Efficient Grid-Interactive Buildings from 5 to 7 July 2022. This programme brings together policymakers, industry professionals, and representatives from academia, international organisations and civil society to explore the use of smart digital technologies to transform buildings from energy-intensive consumers to en...

Momentum is building for nuclear power in many countries amid soaring fuel prices and growing energy security concerns, but success will depend on governments and industry. As the world contends with a global energy crisis, nuclear power has the potential to play a significant role in helping countries to securely transition to energy systems dominated by renewables, according to a new special report by the IEA. Global energy crisis In countries that choose to continue or increase their use o...

Uzbekistan should combine its ongoing broad energy market reforms with stronger measures to improve energy efficiency and the security of its electricity supply, according to a new policy review by the International Energy Agency. Uzbekistan, with a fast-growing population and economy, in 2019 launched a multi-phase multi-year transition from a state-owned and subsidized energy sector to competitive gas, oil and electricity markets with significant private sector participation and cost-covering...

Kazakhstan has made ambitious commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and increase the role of renewables, but achieving these goals requires overcoming its dependence on cheap domestic coal and addressing its lack of flexible generating capacity, according to a new policy review by the International Energy Agency. Kazakhstan 2022 The report, Kazakhstan 2022, also notes that Kazakh government revenues face a long-term risk from the projected decline in global demand for fo...

As a resource-rich country on the leading edge of many clean energy technologies, Norway is uniquely well placed for the clean energy transition and needs to advance strategies to tackle emissions in sectors where they are hardest to reduce in order to meet its ambitious climate targets, according to a new in-depth policy review by the International Energy Agency. Since the IEA’s last policy review in 2017, Norway has remained a global pillar of energy security with its ample reserve...

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol took part in the G7 Summit in Elmau, Germany, where he briefed world leaders on the IEA’s recommendations for responding to the global energy crisis. At the invitation of Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, the current holder of the G7 Presidency, Dr. Birol addressed G7 leaders and those of five partner countries invited to the Summit, Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal, and South Africa on major energy and climate issues. investment in clean energy te...

Global energy investment is set to increase by 8% in 2022 to reach USD 2.4 trillion, with the anticipated rise coming mainly in clean energy, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency. Although encouraging, the growth investment is still far from enough to tackle the multiple dimensions of the current energy crisis and pave the way toward a cleaner and more secure energy future. energy investment The fastest energy investment growth comes from the power sector mainly in...

IEA’s Africa Energy Outlook 2022 sets out path to bring modern energy access to all Africans this decade while creating new growth industries in critical minerals and green hydrogen. The current crippling spikes in energy prices underscore the urgency and the benefits for African countries of accelerating the scale-up of cheaper and cleaner sources of energy, the IEA says in a new special report released. overlapping crises Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent food, energy, and o...

The Governing Board of the International Energy Agency has agreed that Ukraine will join the IEA Family as an Association country, reflecting the IEA’s full support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression, highlighting Ukraine’s critical role in energy security and supporting its reconstruction efforts. Recognizing the exceptional and unprecedented circumstances the country is facing, the Governing Board also agreed to develop an action plan with Ukraine to address its energy...

Dr. Anders Hoffmann, a senior leader in Denmark’s Ministry for Climate, Energy, and Utilities, was welcomed as the new Chair of the IEA Governing Board, assuming the role at a key moment in the Agency’s history. Dr. Hoffmann has been Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Danish Ministry since April 2017 and has been deeply involved in a number of key IEA initiatives, including the recent 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency and the Global Commission on People-Cent...

Global energy and climate leaders meeting at the IEA’s Global Conference on Energy Efficiency have agreed on actions to accelerate improvements in energy efficiency that can reduce energy bills, ease dependence on imported fuels, and speed up reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. At the end of the three-day Global Conference in Sønderborg, Denmark, on 7-9 June, ministers and other senior representatives from 24 countries including France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, S...

Global energy and climate leaders are gathering in Denmark for a major ministerial meeting that could drive urgently needed improvements in energy efficiency, with a new analysis by the International Energy Agency showing that stronger efficiency measures can reduce energy bills, fuel imports, and greenhouse gas emissions quickly and significantly. 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency The IEA’s 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency in Sønderborg, Denmark,...

Ministers of the G7 group of advanced economies recognized multiple aspects of the IEA’s work on the clean energy transition and energy security, including a recent major report on how to put carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industries such as steel and cement on a path towards net zero. After a two-day meeting in Berlin under Germany’s 2022 Presidency of the G7, Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers issued a communiqué setting out a wide range of actions to tackle &ls...

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol met with leaders from government, industry, finance and civil society at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week where he highlighted the need for greater investments in the clean energy transition to address the major global challenges of energy security and climate change. “The world does not need to choose between the energy crisis and the climate crisis. We can solve both of them with the right investment,” Dr. Birol said duri...

The European Commission and the International Energy Agency are joining forces to help EU countries reduce their reliance on Russian fossil fuels. By strengthening investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, the project aims to mitigate the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the EU energy sector. Liquefied natural gas In the framework of this common endeavor, the Commission is offering support to Member States to reduce their dependence on Russian fossil fuels through the...

Policy support and flood of new models underpin sales in major markets, but greater efforts are needed to anticipate supply chain bottlenecks and boost critical mineral production. Electric car sales powered through 2021 and have remained strong so far in 2022, but ensuring future growth will demand greater efforts to diversify battery manufacturing and critical mineral supplies, in order to reduce the risks of bottlenecks and price rises, according to the International Energy Agency. Sales of...

IEA Executive Director - Fatih Birol received a visit from Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, the Secretary General of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), at the International Energy Agency (IEA) headquarters in Paris, France. During the meeting, Dr. Birol thanked Mr. Barkindo for his efforts in recent years to foster frank and open dialog between energy producers and consumers, in the interests of greater oil market stability. OPEC Secretary General visits IEA Executive Director...

New IEA report lays out recommendations to speed up technology development and overcome high costs of drastically reducing emissions from steel and cement production. G7 economies are well placed to be first movers on driving down carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industry, setting out a path for the rest of the world for this essential part of the transition to clean energy systems, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. Achieving Net Zero Heavy Industry Sectors in...

Despite success rolling out renewables and diversifying natural gas supplies, Poland will have to redouble efforts to keep pace with new EU goals amid today’s supply challenges. Poland has made serious progress in improving the security and sustainability of its energy system in recent years. However, a major acceleration in its clean energy transition is needed to tackle the emissions resulting from coal’s dominant role in the power sector, according to the latest policy review by...

New capacity for generating electricity from solar, wind, and other renewables increased to a record level worldwide in 2021 and will grow further as governments increasingly seek to take advantage of renewables’ energy security and climate benefits, according to the International Energy Agency. new renewable power capacity The world added a record 295 gigawatts of new renewable power capacity in 2021, overcoming supply chain challenges, construction delays, and high raw material prices,...

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden led a high-level delegation of officials, academics, and business leaders on a visit to the IEA’s headquarters in Paris where they discussed the emerging global energy crisis and the importance of clean energy technologies with IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and other senior figures from the Agency. The King’s visit was part of the Royal Technology Mission organised by the Swedish Sovereign and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. The...

The International Energy Agency (IEA) announces that a High-Level Advisory Group of global energy, climate and finance leaders, chaired by UN Special Envoy Michael R. Bloomberg, will provide strategic input for a forthcoming IEA special report that will explore how to put the world’s coal emissions on a path toward net zero amid the major energy security and affordability challenges that are affecting countries worldwide with particularly severe economic impacts in the developing world. I...

The International Energy Agency and the European Commission outlined a range of simple steps that people can take to reduce their energy use and save money and that would save enough oil to fill 120 super tankers and enough natural gas to heat almost 20 million homes if adopted by all EU citizens. The actions designed to help Ukraine by cutting Europe’s reliance on Russian fuel and also reducing greenhouse gas emissions were presented and discussed by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol an...

Current trends raise concerns over energy security and emissions, with most nuclear power generation due to be phased out by 2025, calling for a major clean energy push. Despite notable success in expanding wind and other clean sources of power, Belgium still requires strong and sustained efforts to reduce its use of fossil fuels, cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and lower its reliance on energy imports, according to a new policy review by the International Energy Agency. Busy territorial wa...