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Energy Efficiency
…has shown that despite this increased ambition, global progress on energy efficiency is slower than in the last decade. This is locking in greater levels of wasted energy, as well as higher costs and emissions.
Global progress on energy efficiency picks up in 2025
Global primary energy intensity – the main metric for tracking efficiency progress – is on course to improve by 1.8% in 2025, up from just 1% in 2024. Preliminary estimates indicate that several key economies, such as India and China, are showing some indications of stronger progress compared with their average since 2019.
The rate of global…
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Road
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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Hydrogen
Low-emissions hydrogen projects are set to grow strongly despite wave of cancellations and persistent challenges
Worldwide hydrogen demand increased to almost 100 million tonnes in 2024, up 2% from 2023 and in line with overall energy demand growth. The vast majority of this was met by hydrogen produced from fossil fuels without measures in place to capture associated emissions. Sectors that have traditionally used hydrogen, such as oil refining and industry, remained the biggest consumers.
The uptake of low-emissions hydrogen is not yet meeting the expectations set by industry and governments in recent years, especially in light of…
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Carbon capture, utilisation and storage
Carbon capture, utilisation and storage
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Wind
Wind has significant potential to boost growth in global renewable capacity
Electricity generation from renewables is expected to increase by 60% through 2030 – rising from 9 900 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2024 to 16 200 TWh by the end of the decade. Wind accounts for almost a third of growth, second only to solar PV, which accounts for 60%.
Although wind power continues to face supply chain issues, rising costs and permitting delays today, global capacity is still expected to nearly double to over 2 000 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 as both advanced and developing economies tackle these barriers.
Around…
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Methane Abatement
Global energy-related methane emissions remain near record highs
In recent years, many countries and companies have set targets to reduce methane emissions, with commitments now covering over half of global oil and gas production. However, methane emissions from the energy sector plateaued near record highs in 2025 – revealing a large implementation gap.
Still, there is significant scope for further 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…
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Electric Vehicles
…break records as affordability improves
Despite recent economic headwinds that have put pressure on the auto sector, global sales of electric cars have continued to break records as electric models become increasingly affordable. Electric car sales exceeded 17 million globally in 2024, reaching a sales share of more than 20%. Just the additional 3.5 million electric cars sold in 2024 compared with the previous year is more than the total number of electric cars sold worldwide in 2020.
In 2025, sales of electric cars are expected to surpass 20 million, accounting for over a quarter of cars sold worldwide…
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Heat Pumps
Heat pump sales stalled in 2023 as household budgets were squeezed
Global sales of heat pumps decreased by 3% in 2023 after two consecutive years of double-digit growth fuelled by the energy crisis. This slowdown reflects broader aversion to large-ticket purchases among consumers amid higher interest rates and inflation. Heat pumps are a large investment for households, and sales are particularly sensitive to borrowing costs and consumer sentiment.
At the same time, natural gas prices have mostly declined from their peaks in 2022, highlighting the need to tilt energy tariffs and taxes in favour of cleaner consumer choices…
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Direct Air Capture
Country and regional highlights
The United States is leading the race on policy support for DAC
CO2 capture
DAC plants currently operate on a small scale, but with plans to grow
Energy
How can we capture CO2 directly from the atmosphere?
Innovation
A small but growing DAC technology portfolio is emerging
Supporting infrastructure
DAC deployment for carbon removal relies on the availability of low-carbon energy sources and CO2 storage
Policy
Government support for DAC is growing in major markets
Investment
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Bioenergy
Led by bioenergy, renewable fuels could approach 6% of energy demand from industry, buildings and transport in 2030
By 2030, renewable fuels are set to account for 5.5% of energy consumption from the industry, building and transport sectors. Demand is due to expand in all regions, but it is concentrated in China, Brazil, Europe, India and the United States, which collectively support more than two-thirds of the forecasted growth. All five countries and regions have dedicated support policies for several – and, in some cases, all – renewable fuels. These vary by fuel, sector and country, but they often include…