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Hydroelectricity
Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy today, but that could change soon
Hydro is currently the third largest source of power generation worldwide after coal and natural gas. In 2024, it generated around 4 500 terawatt-hours of electricity, or 14% of the global total.
More than 150 gigawatts (GW) of new hydro capacity is set to come online by the end of the decade, mostly in emerging and developing economies. As a result, electricity generation from hydropower is expected to increase by 7% between 2025 and 2030. However, its share in global electricity generation is poised to…
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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
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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
Supporting infrastructure
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Aviation
Country and regional highlights
Political agreement on net zero targets for aviation has been complemented by fiscal and regulatory policies to promote sustainable aviation fuels
CO2 emissions
CO2 emissions from aviation have reached 90% of their pre-Covid-19 peak
Energy
Improvements in energy intensity have not been sufficient to counterbalance energy demand growth in recent years
Activity
Passenger activity has nearly closed the gap with pre-Covid levels
Technology deployment
Innovation
Policy
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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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Smart Grids
Country and regional highlights
Several major economies have announced substantial new funding to modernise and digitalise their electricity grids
Deployment
Clean, reliable and resilient electricity systems need smart grids more than ever
Innovation
Digital infrastructure in electricity grids is growing
Investment
Investment in electricity grids is growing, with more ambitious network plans to facilitate the electrification of the economy and the integration of renewables
International collaboration
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Grid-scale Storage
Country and regional highlights
Major markets target greater deployment of storage additions through new funding and strengthened recommendations
Technology deployment
Pumped-storage hydropower is still the most widely deployed storage technology, but grid-scale batteries are catching up
Innovation
While innovation on lithium-ion batteries continues, further cost reductions depend on critical mineral prices
Policy
Investment
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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
Acknowledgements
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Behavioural Changes
Country and regional highlights
Governments have supported or mandated behavioural changes in buildings and on roads
CO2 emissions
Behavioural changes can quickly reduce CO2 emissions
Activity
Growth in activity is inevitable as economies develop and populations increase, but behavioural changes can help to offset these increases
Policy
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis have increased the salience of behavioural changes
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Lighting
Country and regional highlights
Prominent progress in increasing standards and labels for lighting
CO2 emissions
CO2 emissions by lighting increased marginally in 2022, despite increased uptake of efficient lamps
Energy
Increased energy demand for service lighting more than offset a drop in residential lighting in 2022
Activity
Increasing building space and population is driving additional demand for lighting
Technology deployment
LED is now the leading lighting technology in homes
Innovation
Policy