The objective of the Implementing Agreement on Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme (ETSAP) is to serve national governments and work in international forums by fostering and supporting the development of energy technology policy options.

ETSAP concerns the application and ongoing development of a family of computer models named MARKAL (for MARKet ALlocation) that allow policy analysts and decision-makers to identify and explore feasible energy technology scenarios that balance energy budgets and meet a range of environmental requirements at the minimum overall cost over extended periods of time.

Members of the Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme (ETSAP) and their partners cooperate to establish, maintain and expand a consistent multi-country energy/economy/ environment analytical capability. Key features are individual national teams and a common, comparable and combinable methodology, based on the MARKAL model, permitting in-depth national and multi-country evaluations..

The leading role of technology for actually affecting changes in energy consumption and production patterns and emission profiles is represented by rich (hundreds of technologies) and country-specific databases.

ETSAP brings to the table:

- a consistent and comparable approach to quantify costs of emission reduction and benefits of international cooperation;
- the ability to examine the collective potential of key technologies and resources, including regionally-limited interim options like natural gas;
- the ability to assess alternative international proposals of burden sharing by estimating their differential implications;
- the evaluation of different R&D strategies;
- the evaluation of different energy policy options;
- a network of experienced analysts who understand and recognize their national options and concerns; .

and

Over 70 teams in more than 35 counties around the world make use of the MARKAL family of energy/economy/environment models. These have been used in many instances to perform analyses in support of national emission inventory and abatement studies, for example, to provide input for national communications in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process. The work also contributed to IEA/OECD studies for Annex-1 Experts Group of the UNFCCC and is currently providing input to IEA analysis of how technologies can impact long-term development of global energy markets. The model has also been used by some countries, notably the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, as a tool in the development of policy and priorities for energy R&D.

10. Global Energy Systems and Common Analyses

11. Joint Studies for New and Mitigated Energy Systems