Gap between ambition and progress underscores need for stronger, targeted international collaboration, new report shows

The pace of deployment of new energy technologies over the rest of this decade will increasingly depend on whether governments, companies and international institutions can work together to overcome barriers slowing investment and infrastructure development, according to the new Breakthrough Agenda report.

The new report – an annual collaboration between the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Climate High-Level Champions – finds that while many countries remain committed to cooperating on energy and climate, translating ambition into results remains a challenge. This year’s edition examines a set of sectoral action plans developed under the Action Agenda at COP30 in 2025 and identifies near-term priorities that could help accelerate emissions reductions across six key sectors.

The report comes against a backdrop of major energy market turmoil and growing demand around the world for energy services, particularly electricity. Global electricity demand rose by around 3% in 2025 – more than twice the pace of overall energy demand growth. Renewables and nuclear power met nearly 60% of the increase. Annual renewable capacity additions reached a record 800 GW, alongside rising investment in grids, electrified transport and industry.

Yet global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions still edged higher in 2025, highlighting the gap between current policy trajectories and international climate goals. According to the report, many of the biggest obstacles facing energy transitions are now less about long-term ambition than whether projects, infrastructure and markets can develop quickly enough.

International cooperation has expanded rapidly in recent years, with governments, companies and international institutions launching a growing number of partnerships and initiatives across the energy system. The report says this reflects broad recognition that many implementation challenges – from infrastructure and supply chains to financing and market development – cannot be solved through national action alone.

At the same time, the growing number of initiatives is making the international landscape increasingly complex. In some sectors, overlapping efforts and fragmented approaches to cutting emissions risk slowing progress, particularly where projects depend on coordinated investment, shared infrastructure or common standards. To help strengthen coordination, the Global Climate Action Agenda introduced plans to accelerate solutions that are intended to focus international cooperation on practical implementation challenges in specific sectors or value chains.

According to the report, international collaboration is most effective when it helps tackle shared challenges affecting investment, infrastructure and market development across sectors. This includes aligning on standards to prevent fragmented global markets, pooling collective efforts to share risks associated with large-scale and first-of-a-kind projects and improving financing conditions in emerging and developing economies.

The report also underscores the crucial role of governments in these efforts. While many global initiatives already benefit from participation by companies, financial institutions and international organisations, the effectiveness of the next phase of international collaboration will depend in large part on whether governments take a more active role in shaping, endorsing and implementing the proposed plans.

Building on previous editions in the Breakthrough Agenda series, this year’s report identifies a set of near-term priorities aimed at improving conditions for investment, deployment and market development ahead of the next Global Stocktake in 2028.

Launched at COP26 in 2021, the Breakthrough Agenda provides a framework for strengthening international collaboration across major emitting sectors, with the aim of making clean technologies and sustainable solutions the most affordable, accessible and attractive option by 2030.

International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said: “As the current energy crisis shows, strong international cooperation remains essential to help countries address shared energy challenges. Investment in a range of key energy technologies is growing robustly in many countries around the world, but faster progress will also depend on whether governments can work together to reduce risks, strengthen markets and expand the infrastructure needed for growth.”

Samed Ağırbaş, COP31 Climate High-Level Champion said: “International efforts are increasingly focused on action and delivery. The Global Climate Action Agenda reflects this shift, connecting governments with non-State actors to ensure that what’s agreed in negotiation rooms is delivered on the ground.”

Dan Ioschpe, COP30 Climate High-Level Champion said: “By aligning initiatives, strengthening coordination and supporting delivery across sectors, the Action Agenda seeks to ensure that commitments are realised through tangible progress on the ground. International cooperation is central to this effort, and can unlock more renewables, cleaner cities, resilient infrastructure, and finance flowing to where it’s needed most.”