-
Economic growth
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores economic growth. Why is energy efficiency important for economic growth? Energy efficiency allows countries to generate more economic activity using the same amount of energy. It is also linked to increased labour productivity and other economic benefits. Key facts Compared with 2000, today’s global economy produces 36% more GDP per unit of energy. Energy efficiency progress over the last 20 years means that close to an extra USD 50 trillion can today be produced using the same amount of energy. This energy efficiency bonus is equivalent to…
-
Breakthrough Agenda Report 2026
Strengthening international collaboration to accelerate delivery Breakthrough Agenda Report 2026 Since its launch at COP 26, the Breakthrough Agenda has served as a framework for strengthening international collaboration across major emitting sectors. Participating countries have endorsed shared “Breakthrough” goals to make clean technologies and sustainable practices more affordable, accessible and attractive than their alternatives by 2030 across the power, road transport, hydrogen, steel, cement and buildings sectors.The Breakthrough Agenda establishes an annual cycle to track progress towards these goals, identify where stronger or more co‑ordinated international action is needed, and support collective efforts to accelerate deployment. Central to this process…
- Executive summary
- Hydrogen
- Road transport
- Steel
-
+ 3 pages
-
Integrating Variable Renewable Energy in Kenya
…system amid rising shares of variable renewable energy (VRE). The report identifies Kenya’s system to be operating in Phase 3 of the IEA’s VRE integration framework, where variability increasingly influences system operations. It explores the key challenges that lie ahead and how three mutually reinforcing pillars - open access, flexibility and storage, and ancillary services - can support the development of a reliable, secure and sustainable electricity system. The analysis highlights that increasing generation capacity alone will not be sufficient to address existing and emerging system pressures. Adapting market, regulatory and operational frameworks will be equally important to deliver a…
-
Competitiveness
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores competitiveness. Why is energy efficiency important for competitiveness? Increasing energy efficiency can improve competitiveness at both the firm level – by reducing costs, improving operations and increasing product value – and at the country level, by reducing the amount of energy required to produce economic output. Key facts Today the world’s industries produce nearly 20% more value added with a given amount of energy, compared with two decades ago. In the industrial sector, energy management can lead to more than 10% in annual energy cost savings within…
-
Energy Efficiency in China’s Buildings Sector
…energy services. Much of China’s improvement has come from energy efficiency upgrades in industry and overall economic structural shifts. The buildings sector accounts for approximately 20% of its total final energy consumption and its intensity has decreased at a slower rate. There remains significant potential to unlock further energy savings through technical and policy initiatives in buildings.This report outlines opportunities for actions, targets and timelines that could improve energy efficiency in China's buildings sector. It includes an analysis of the country’s current buildings energy efficiency policies and the data that tracks progress in achieving them. Regulation…
-
Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit
The Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit is an interactive online tool that has been updated and expanded ahead of the 11th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency in Montreal, Canada. It aims to support governments in designing and implementing effective energy efficiency measures by combining policies across three core pillars: regulation, information and incentives. It also features a wide range of case studies, offering practical insights into the successful implementation of energy efficiency policies across diverse national and sectoral contexts.The Toolkit builds on earlier IEA work to advance energy efficiency policy. In 2022, the IEA introduced Policy Packages for Energy…
-
Powering Ireland’s Energy Future
…climate, energy and socio-economic ambitions, making electricity security critical to realising progress in key areas including housing, digital infrastructure, transport and heat. Going forward, Ireland faces strategic choices on how to align its ambitions while ensuring secure electricity supply to 2035.This report assesses the outlook for Ireland’s energy security to 2035, drawing on international experience and detailed power system modelling developed with EirGrid, Ireland’s transmission system operator. The Adapted Transition Pathway illustrates how climate, energy and socio-economic goals align around the electricity system, potentially doubling demand and requiring faster infrastructure delivery and deployment of renewables…
-
Designing Energy Efficiency Policies to Enhance Affordability
…identified as a key challenge. In response, this report was developed to provide practical guidance on designing energy efficiency policies that support affordability, particularly in the buildings sector.As part of this work, the IEA conducted a survey with G7 governments to better understand the obstacles they face. On the consumer side, major challenges include the landlord-tenant split incentive, high upfront costs and administrative complexity. On the supply side, governments identified skills shortages and difficulties in reaching underserved communities.The report analyses the affordability-focused energy efficiency policies of G7 countries. These include targeted financial support, simplified programme design…
-
Energy System Resilience
…resilience – focuses on systems’ ability to cope with events exceeding standard planning conditions. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has worked to protect its energy sector and to increase its ability to withstand and rapidly recover from Russia’s attacks on its energy infrastructure. The report explores the lessons that Ukraine has been learning as it works to bolster system resilience and identifies measures that apply to a range of high-impact events – such as cyberattacks, physical attacks on infrastructure, extreme and severe weather, and unexpected infrastructure failures – and can in turn be adopted by policymakers and…
-
Integrating Distributed Energy Resources in China
…Europe, Japan and the United States. Through cross-country comparison, the analysis identifies lessons and best practices that are relevant to China’s evolving power sector and regulatory landscape. It offers insights into the role of policy, regulation, market design, digital infrastructure and institutional frameworks in unlocking the full potential of DERs.The report provides tailored policy guidance to support Chinese decision makers in designing effective strategies for DER integration through 2030 and beyond. At the same time, it can serve as a valuable reference for Chinese and international experts working to develop coherent, forward-looking approaches to DER integration.
