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IEA Members agree to start accession process with Brazil at the 2026 Ministerial in Paris
…will strengthen our collective efforts at a time when continued cooperation is needed most.”Brazil’s formal request to begin the accession process followed the submission of a letter in September 2025 by Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Viera to the IEA Executive Director, signalling the government’s intention to seek membership and build on years of close cooperation in areas such as energy security, data and statistics and policy analysis.As part of the accession process, Brazil will work with the IEA Secretariat and member governments to meet the Agency’s…
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IEA supports Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy in developing a national energy data strategy
…Energy Policy Review of Brazil 2025, presented during COP30 in Belém, the IEA is providing technical support to Brazil on its plans for a national energy data strategy to enhance the relevance, integration and quality of energy data in public energy policymaking. On 2-3 March, IEA and Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) held a joint stakeholder workshop on the Co-creation of an Energy Data Strategy for Brazil, bringing together government institutions and energy sector stakeholders.Opening the workshop, IEA Deputy Director Mary Burce Warlick highlighted the growing importance of energy data cooperation between Brazil and the IEA…
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Canada is set to play a leading role in supplying the world with responsibly produced critical minerals
Commentary Already a mining hub, Canada could play a big part in diversifying global mineral supply chains Since 2023, the IEA has been conducting Critical Mineral Reviews – in-depth country reviews of critical mineral policies and security that have served as part of the Agency’s pioneering work to ensure secure mineral supply chains. The latest Critical Minerals Review of Canada shows that at a time of increasing concentration risks, including from export controls by the dominant supplier, Canada has the potential to contribute to the development of secure, diversified and competitive global supply chains for critical minerals.Canada can…
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Why the growth of energy service companies is uneven globally
ESCO The global annual ESCO market growth rate has more than doubled over the past five years Energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective tools for enhancing energy security, reducing household energy bills and supporting countries’ efforts to reduce emissions. Energy service companies (ESCOs) – firms that develop and implement energy efficiency projects typically financed through verified energy savings – are playing a growing role in delivering energy efficiency improvements across buildings, industry and transport infrastructure worldwide. By integrating project development, financing and performance guarantees, ESCOs can offer a proven way to reduce upfront investment barriers and shift technical and…
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How accelerating electrification could strengthen energy security in Southeast Asia
Commentary Electrification is key to energy security and sustainability across Southeast Asia Energy demand is rising rapidly in Southeast Asia, driven by economic growth, industrialisation, urbanisation and rising incomes. Since 2015, energy demand has risen by around 40%, while electricity demand has grown even faster – twice as fast as overall energy use. Although renewables have increased significantly over the past decade, fossil fuels have continued to dominate, meeting over 70% of energy demand growth across this period, with oil accounting for nearly half of total energy consumption.Rapid energy demand growth and continued dependence on fossil fuels brings greater exposure…
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Battery storage is scaling up and taking on a larger system role
Commentary As the result of falling costs and greater flexibility needs, battery storage is playing a growing role in power systems worldwide, acting as a “multi-tool” that can provide a range of critical system services at once. According to the latest data, the deployment of batteries expanded strongly in 2025 and broadened across markets – with rapid growth in countries such as Australia and Saudi Arabia, where storage is increasingly being used to support the integration of rising shares of variable renewables.In regions that have been at the forefront of renewable integration and battery deployment, batteries now play an…
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Wired for water: How electrification is transforming desalination
Wired for water: how electrification is transforming desalination The water-energy nexus Pressure on water resources is increasing worldwide and can be very acute at the local level. Rising consumption across sectors combined with population growth in already water-stressed regions is intensifying water scarcity. Desalination has long been developed to supply fresh water in the most affected areas, with significant implications for the energy system: energy use ranges from under 0.1% to as much as 15% of total final consumption, depending on national reliance. However, a shift is underway from thermal desalination technologies to electricity-driven systems as…
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From farms to fuel: Ukraine’s biomethane opportunity for energy security and European decarbonisation
Ukraine biomethane A strategic opportunity for biomethane in Ukraine In 2025, Ukraine exported biomethane to the European Union (EU) for the first time – a milestone that opens an opportunity to scale-up domestic low-emissions gas. Home to the largest agricultural land area in Europe, Ukraine has the resource potential to become one of the continent’s leading biomethane producers, supplying both its domestic market and the EU via an already existing pipeline infrastructure.The first exports of biomethane come at a critical moment. Repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure have exposed the vulnerabilities of centralised energy supply. Although…
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Businesses see competitive value of energy efficiency, but smaller firms struggle to access solutions
CEOs value energy efficiency, but SMEs struggle to benefit Energy efficiency is a strategic asset for industrial competitiveness. For companies facing tight margins, volatile energy prices and intensifying global competition, reducing energy waste is not only a cost-saving measure, but also a way to protect productivity, manage risk and strengthen their position in global markets. Yet not all firms have the same capacity to quickly improve their energy efficiency.New analysis of the 2025 IEA Industrial Competitiveness Survey – which covered 1 000 companies across 14 countries – shows that business leaders view energy efficiency as closely linked to their competitive performance…
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Copper prices have hit record highs, but smelters face mounting strategic pressures
copper Copper markets enter uncharted territory as structural and short-term pressures converge Copper prices have surged to record highs this year, briefly exceeding USD 14 500 per tonne (intraday) in January 2026, having only passed USD 12 000 per tonne for the first time in December 2025. The unprecedented price levels have been driven by some important short-term developments, including supply disruptions at several major mines and a build-up of US copper inventories due to tariff uncertainty. But they have also been underpinned by some underlying factors, such as challenges in developing new copper mines and the…