• Commentary

        • 15 Jun 2026

        From farms to fuel: Ukraine’s biomethane opportunity for energy security and European decarbonisation

        …and market barriers. Ukraine’s structural advantages in biomethane production Ukraine’s 33 million hectares of agricultural land provide access to substantial feedstock volumes spanning agricultural waste and residues, cover crops, agro-industrial by-products and organic municipal solid waste. The IEA estimates Ukraine’s biogas and biomethane production potential, using only waste and residues, at roughly 11.6 billion cubic meters equivalent (bcme) per year, making it the European leader in terms of available feedstock.  Ukraine’s biomethane sector benefits from another advantage in addition to feedstock availability: well-developed domestic gas infrastructure. The country’s extensive gas network…

        • Commentary

        • 21 Apr 2026

        How governments can best support consumers during this energy crisis

        How governments can best support consumers during this energy crisis The conflict in the Middle East has triggered a major shock to global energy markets, with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggering the largest supply disruption in the history of oil markets and significantly impacting supplies of natural gas and a range of energy-related commodities.As concerns over supply security have grown, prices have risen across several parts of the energy system, increasing pressure on household budgets, public finances and economic activity more broadly. In response, many governments have announced emergency measures to protect consumers from…

        • Commentary

        • 13 Mar 2026

        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…

        • Commentary

        • 13 May 2026

        Energy crisis threatens world’s most vulnerable as cooking fuel shortages grow

        …economies and societies in profound ways, often forcing households to ration fuel for their cars and heating for their homes. The 2026 crisis is being felt across the globe – and households in emerging and developing economies are now facing a particularly severe challenge: whether there is enough fuel simply to cook a meal, and whether they can still afford it.At the centre of this sits liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the world's most widely used cooking fuel. Around 3.4 billion people across the developing world use LPG as their primary source of energy for cooking. As of 2025…

        • Commentary

        • 10 Feb 2026

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

        …in line with overall energy demand growth. This consumption was almost completely met with hydrogen produced from unabated fossil fuels, using 290 billion cubic metres of natural gas and 90 million tonnes of coal equivalent. However, alternative technologies that can produce low-emissions hydrogen have attracted a lot of interest from governments given their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diversify energy supply, particularly in countries that have a large dependence on fossil fuel imports.Low-emissions hydrogen production – or the production of hydrogen from low-emissions electricity via water electrolysis, from bioenergy or from fossil fuels in combination with carbon…

        • Commentary

        • 22 Jun 2026

        How global oil supplies have readjusted to help fill the huge gap left by the Strait of Hormuz shock

        …artery for oil and gas shipments to reach global markets. The cumulative oil supply losses from producers in the Middle East now exceed 1.3 billion barrels, with flows through the Strait of Hormuz falling from around 20 million barrels per day prior to the conflict to an average of 2.7 million barrels per day in March, April and May.Since the start of the war in the Middle East on 28 February, the huge drop in the number of tankers shipping oil and gas from Gulf producers through the Strait of Hormuz has severely dislocated oil market flows…

        • Commentary

        • 19 Jun 2026

        Delivering on the EU’s electrification ambitions

        …Today, imported fuels account for around 60% of the EU’s total energy demand and cost the bloc EUR 380 billion in 2024. The risks associated with the EU’s reliance on fuel imports have been highlighted by recent market disruptions linked to the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict in the Middle East, bringing renewed attention to the EU’s target of increasing electrification from 24% today to 32% of energy consumption by 2030.This commentary is the second in a series examining the case for electrification in the EU. The previous instalment looked at…

        • Commentary

        • 27 Mar 2026

        Policy and financing momentum sustain CCUS progress despite setbacks

        …Meanwhile, storage capacity increased by around 25%. In terms of future prospects, the total potential capture capacity remained at similar levels of around 425 million tonnes (Mt) – although the timeline for deploying much of this planned capacity has been pushed back towards 2035 amid delays in permitting and construction, as 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…

        • Commentary

        • 23 Jun 2026

        How accelerating electrification could strengthen energy security in Southeast Asia

        …supply disruptions. The current energy crisis linked to the Middle East conflict has underscored these vulnerabilities. Ahead of the crisis, around 60% of crude oil imports and a third of natural gas imports in the region came from the Middle East. And based on current policy settings, this dependence is set to increase: by 2035, the region, which today exports small volumes of natural gas, is projected to rely on imports for one-third of its natural gas demand. For oil, imports are projected to account for around 80% of demand by 2035 based on current policy settings. Electrification can…

        • 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…

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