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Space Cooling
Country and regional highlights
Updated energy efficiency standards and new policies target emissions associated with space cooling
CO2 emissions
Progress on efficiency and power decarbonisation have not been sufficient to curb emissions growth from rising space cooling demand
Energy
In 2022 energy consumption for space cooling further increased by more than 5% from 2021
Activity
Technology deployment
Innovation
Supporting infrastructure
Policy
International collaboration
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Data Centres and Data Transmission Networks
CO2 emissions
Data centres and data transmission networks are responsible for 1% of energy-related GHG emissions
Energy
Strong efficiency improvements have helped to limit growth in energy demand from data centres globally
Activity
Emerging services and technologies such as streaming, cloud gaming, blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning and virtual reality are poised to boost demand for data services
Renewable energy
Policy
Private sector initiatives
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Chemicals
Country and regional highlights
Important steps to deploy low-emissions chemicals production technologies are being taken in several regions
CO2 emissions
CO2 emissions must decouple from production by 2030 to get on track with the NZE Scenario
Energy
Energy consumption for feedstock will continue to rise with production, but process energy intensity declines rapidly in the NZE Scenario
Activity
Primary chemical production is set to keep growing in the NZE Scenario
Innovation
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Methane Abatement
…action. Around 70% of fossil fuel methane emissions in 2025 came from the top 10 emitting countries. Meanwhile, the methane intensity of oil and gas production varies widely across countries – with the best performers scoring more than 100 times better than the worst.
And with energy security in focus around the world, methane abatement could deliver benefits by putting more gas to productive use. Efforts to cut methane from oil and gas operations globally could deliver nearly 100 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas to markets each year, while eliminating non-emergency gas flaring could unlock a further 100 bcm.
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Cars and Vans
More stringent and broader coverage of fuel efficiency standards for light-duty vehicles is needed
For cars and vans, increasing fuel efficiency standards is important as even in the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario, nearly 80% of cars and vans on the road in 2030 are still powered with internal combustion engines. Sales of heavier, less efficient SUVs reached around 46% of global sales in 2022, while electric vehicles were just 14% of sales. More and more countries are formulating vehicle efficiency standards and some are even putting in place zero-emission vehicle sales requirements. To be in line…
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Natural Gas
The coming LNG wave is set to profoundly transform the global gas market
Global gas markets, which have been tight and volatile for several years, are set to undergo major changes by the end of this decade. The unfolding coming wave of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity is set to rebalance the global gas market, enhance energy supply security and improve the affordability of natural gas.
About 300 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year of LNG export capacity – a record – is set to be added by 2030, primarily supported by liquefaction capacity additions in the United States and Qatar…
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District Heating
Country and regional highlights
Momentum for change is growing within the district heating industry
CO2 emissions
Decarbonisation efforts have not yet been sufficient to curb associated emissions
Energy
Despite large potential for the integration of renewable sources and recycled heat, fossil fuels dominate district heat supplies globally
Deployment
The district heating industry is transitioning to lower-temperature networks and integrating renewable energy sources
Innovation
Policy
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Coal
Global coal demand to remain on a plateau in 2025 and 2026
Despite unusual trends across several major markets in the first half of 2025, global coal demand is likely to remain broadly unchanged to 2027 as underlying structural drivers of the world’s coal use remain stable.
Global coal demand increased to a new all-time high in 2024 of around 8.8 billion tonnes, up 1.5% from 2023, as rising consumption in China, India, Indonesia and other emerging economies more than offset declines in advanced economies in Europe, North America and northeast Asia. However, several of those…
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CO2 Transport and Storage
Country and regional highlights
Development in major regions has advanced significantly in 2023, and some countries have announced first-ever projects
Activity
Dedicated CO2 storage capacity is matching capture plans as infrastructure-specific announcements surge
Technology deployment
Pioneering shipment of CO2 for dedicated storage in Europe paves way for future CO2 shipping ventures
Innovation
Policy
Government support for CO2 transport and storage infrastructure is growing
Acknowledgements
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Cement
Country and regional highlights
Major policy developments of the last year hold promise for reducing emissions from the cement sector and increasing public procurement of low-carbon concrete
CO2 emissions
Cement emissions remain stubbornly high – the development and deployment of new technologies is essential to get on track with the NZE Scenario
Energy
Activity
Technology deployment
Innovation
Supporting infrastructure
Policy
International collaboration
Private sector strategies
Acknowledgements