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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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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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CO2 Capture and Utilisation
Country and regional highlights
CCUS and synthetic fuel policies are being strengthened in the United States and Europe
CO2 emissions
CO2 use can bring important climate benefits, but with caveats
Activity
CO2 use for synthetic fuels remains the leading new utilisation route
Technology installation and infrastructure
CCU supply chains can benefit from synergies with fossil-based synthetic fuel production and CCS
Innovation
Policy
Investment
Venture capital investment in CCU continues to grow
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Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage
Country and regional highlights
The United States launches a first-of-its-kind purchasing programme for CDR, while funding support and certification efforts emerge in Europe
CO2 capture
Despite increasing awareness around the importance of BECCS for reaching net zero, deployment remains low
Technology installation and infrastructure
Lead times for BECCS projects depend heavily on the application and destination of the CO2
Innovation
Policy
Investment
Investment in BECCS is growing across applications
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Oil
Oil
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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
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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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Paper
Country and regional highlights
There is growing ambition on electrifying heat in the European paper industry
CO2 emissions
Emissions intensity has seen a decade of reductions, but further effort is needed going forward
Energy
Further energy efficiency improvements and fuel switching are needed to get on track with the Net Zero Scenario
Activity
While production has been relatively flat over much of the past decade, growth in emerging economies may drive a moderate increase in the coming years
Policy
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Electrification
Country and regional highlights
Electrification gains momentum across countries and sectors
CO2 emissions
In the Net Zero by 2050 Scenario, from now to 2030 most electrification-related emission reductions occur in transport
Energy
The share of electricity in energy demand will need to increase by 4% per year to get on track with the Net Zero by 2050 Scenario
Technology deployment
New cars and new houses are the main areas for deployment of electrification technologies
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