• Commentary

        • 27 Mar 2026

        Policy and financing momentum sustain CCUS progress despite setbacks

        …well as broader market uncertainties.Insights from our forthcoming publication, Financing CCUS at Scale, show that more than USD 15 billion in commercial debt has been raised over the past two years – almost exclusively in markets where the government reduced risks across CO2 capture, transport and storage, providing enough certainty and confidence for lenders and investors to step in. This suggests that new CCUS policies are helping spread project risks across the public and private sectors, which in turn is allowing unprecedented levels of private capital to flow into projects. Ensuring this extends beyond a small number of projects, however…

        • Commentary

        • 13 Mar 2026

        Why the growth of energy service companies is uneven globally

        …this growth remains highly concentrated and uneven. More than 75% of global ESCO investment occurs in just two countries -- the United States and China – where strong policy and institutional frameworks have spearheaded recent growth.In China, successive Five-Year Plans have provided sustained policy direction, driving project values from about USD 5.9 billion in the early 2010s to over USD 22 billion in 2024. Growth has been sustained by progressively tighter energy efficiency and emissions reduction requirements, alongside formal support for energy performance contracting.In the United States, which already had one of the most well-established ESCO markets…

        • Commentary

        • 02 Mar 2026

        Copper prices have hit record highs, but smelters face mounting strategic pressures

        …there are major challenges in increasing copper supply. Based on the current project pipeline, the IEA anticipates that the copper market could face a supply deficit of 30% by 2035.The challenges around developing new copper supply are driven by declining copper ore grades – the average global grade of copper mines has decreased 40% since 1991 – rising capital costs and increasing project complexity. The average capital intensity for expanding existing projects (brownfield) has also increased by 65% since 2020, approaching levels typically associated with new greenfield projects. These challenges are compounded by a rapidly declining rate of new resource discoveries…

        • Commentary

        • 08 Jun 2026

        International collaboration continues to power innovation in energy technologies

        International collaboration continues to power innovation in energy technologies For 50 years, Technology Collaboration Programmes have played a crucial part in advancing international energy goals Throughout history, collaboration among researchers and experts across countries has been a motor of innovation in energy technologies. By advancing our understanding of energy fundamentals, improving the efficiency and quality of existing processes and materials, and supporting the development of frontier technologies that strengthen the energy security and sustainability, this coordination has accelerated progress and shed new light on the implications of innovative technologies around the world.An understanding that energy technology innovation can play…

        • Commentary

        • 04 Feb 2026

        Canada is set to play a leading role in supplying the world with responsibly produced critical minerals

        …other countries, which typically have only part of the critical minerals value chain within their jurisdictions. Access to low-emissions energy sources such as hydro and nuclear power can also serve as a competitive advantage in the development of its critical minerals sector.Canada’s slate of existing and announced projects could enhance its role as a major global supplier of nickel, lithium, graphite, cobalt and rare earth elements. Mining of copper, cobalt, lithium, nickel and graphite is already widespread across several provinces and territories, with 56 active projects in 2024 – and Canada already covers, or aims to cover, multiple stages…

        • Commentary

        • 27 Jan 2026

        Designing an effective strategic stockpiling system for critical minerals

        …in recent years. Stepping up global action on critical minerals security has never been more urgent. A clear priority is to develop diversified sources of supply for key critical minerals. However, inevitably, it takes time to develop new projects in both mining and refining. Strategic stockpiling of critical minerals can serve as an important protective measure to safeguard countries from supply shocks and disruptions while they develop new, diversified sources of supply. Strategic stockpiles provide a way for countries to strengthen economic and national security, while also helping to deter future export controls and limiting their impact. Strategic stocks are…

        • Commentary

        • 23 Jan 2026

        Investment in next-generation geothermal is surging. Policies are key to further growth

        …along with the prospect of geothermal projects co-producing critical minerals such as lithium, are adding to the momentum.   Investment in next-generation geothermal has risen sharply According to IEA analysis of new data – including exclusive data shared by Underground Ventures, a firm that invests in next-generation geothermal – financing for the sector reached nearly USD 2.2 billion in 2025, an 80% increase year-over-year and up from just USD 22 million in 2018.Mature conventional geothermal attracted strong investment as well. Funding for conventional geothermal power projects reached nearly USD 5 billion in 2025 – a four-fold…

        • Commentary

        • 29 May 2026

        Battery storage is scaling up and taking on a larger system role

        …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 essential role in continuously balancing electricity demand and supply. Comparatively short construction and development timelines are further supporting the rapid deployment of utility-scale batteries in particular: in many markets, projects typically take around two years to develop and commission, giving them an important advantage in systems that seek flexible capacity quickly.Looking ahead, battery storage deployment is on track to continue accelerating. However, tackling…

        • Commentary

        • 25 Mar 2026

        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…

        • Commentary

        • 10 Feb 2026

        What it would take to unlock the next phase of hydrogen growth

        …is still at an early stage today. But it saw impressive momentum in the early 2020s, when a wave of ambitious government commitments was met with a vigorous response from the private sector, which spearheaded the announcement of hundreds of low-emissions hydrogen production projects.This created high expectations for what was still a nascent sector. When the IEA published its Global Hydrogen Review 2022, governments had adopted targets that cumulatively accounted for 190 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2030 – even though less than 0.7 GW was operational at the end of 2022 and, according to the latest data available…

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