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Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report, 2026
This report is published by the SDG 7 custodian agencies, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Statistics Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO), and aims to provide the international community with a global dashboard to register progress on energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy and international cooperation to advance SDG 7.
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Ensuring a Skilled Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Workforce
…labour shortages. The report identifies barriers which are currently hindering energy education and training. It also discusses policy measures aimed at attracting more people to the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors and providing them with the necessary training. The report includes new IEA analysis on online job postings in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and IEA modelling on energy employment from 2024 as the last full year of data available at the time of publication. The analysis also draws from stakeholder input from two in-person Future of Energy Skills workshops co-ordinated by the IEA and the European…
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IEA Support to Accelerating Renewable Energy Permitting (ARPE)
…Between October 2023 and March 2025, the IEA implemented the “Accelerating Renewable Energy Permitting” (ARPE) action. The goal of ARPE was to support five EU Member states – Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and the Slovak Republic (Focus countries) – in developing and implementing policy and regulatory measures aimed at reaching their renewable energy targets, notably through accelerating permitting of renewable energy projects.In support of this objective, the IEA organised and facilitated five workshops focused on the following topics:streamlining administrative proceduresaccelerating offshore wind deploymentfacilitating spatial planning for renewable energy deploymentensuring public engagement and acceptance, and afinal workshop summarizing the project…
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Emission reductions
…reduce air pollution but also reduce inequality. In households that lack access to clean cooking, air pollution is linked to around 3.7 million premature deaths a year. Replacing open fires and inefficient stoves with cleaner, more modern stoves and fuels reduces household air pollution and improves efficiency. Indoor air pollution from liquid petroleum gas (LPG) cookstoves is only around 5% of pollution from traditional biomass, while being over three times more efficient. Switching from LPG to electric cooking would further reduce indoor air pollution by 25% and is over 1.5 times more efficient. Need more information? IEA (2024), Energy…
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Global Methane Tracker 2026
…near-term global warming, enhance energy security, and improve air quality. The energy sector – including oil, natural gas, coal and bioenergy – accounts for around 40% of methane emissions from human activity and has some of the best opportunities to cut these emissions. The annually updated Global Methane Tracker provides essential data on methane emissions across the energy sector and the opportunities to bring them down.The Tracker presents the IEA’s latest sector-wide emissions estimates – based on the most recent data from satellites and measurement campaigns – and discusses different abatement options along with their associated costs. This year's…
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Health
…energy efficiency can also lead to improvements to mental health, thermal comfort, and safety: Mental healthStudies show that thermal discomfort and fuel poverty have negative mental health impacts – such as anxiety, stress and depression – and that efficiency improvements can improve this. The impact on mental health may be enhanced if combined with financial support mechanisms and strong community engagement.Thermal comfortRetrofits that include installing insulation are shown to enable occupants to raise indoor air temperatures to comfortable levels. SafetyEfficient public lighting can enhance safety perceptions. For instance, efficient streetlighting projects in Brazil and India reduced energy costs by up to…
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Southeast Asia Indicators Handbook for Just and Inclusive Transitions
Energy demand in Southeast Asia is growing, driven by rapidly growing population and economies, industrialisation and urbanisation. Many countries in the region have set out their own national decarbonisation targets and clean energy transitions commitments.Clean energy transitions in the region present unique opportunities to deliver broad socio-economic benefits, beyond emissions reductions, such as the creation of new decent jobs, economic diversification, reduced energy poverty and improved air quality. Tracking these benefits can help ensure that all parts of society benefit from these changes.In 2024, G20 leaders endorsed ten voluntary G20 Principles for Just and Inclusive Energy Transitions…
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Cost of Capital Observatory
Tracking the cost of capital for clean energy projects in emerging and developing economies The Cost of Capital Observatory is an initiative from the IEA, the World Economic Forum, ETH Zurich and Imperial College London. The aim of the Observatory is to increase transparency in the energy sector and inspire investor confidence, especially in emerging and developing countries where data on financing costs is scarcer.The Observatory is divided into three sections:A Dashboard that provides free data on the cost of capital for energy projects in emerging and developing economies, updated with 2023 and 2024 data in July and…
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Global Methane Tracker 2025
…and rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions are key to limiting near-term global warming and improving air quality. The energy sector – including oil, natural gas, coal and bioenergy – accounts for more than 35% of methane emissions from human activity and has some of the best opportunities to cut these emissions. The annually updated Global Methane Tracker is an essential tool for raising awareness about methane emissions across the energy sector and the opportunities to bring them down.The Tracker presents our latest sector-wide emissions estimates – based on the most recent data from satellites and measurement campaigns – and…
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Affordability
…who spend more on energy. Policies can consider these distributional effects and explicitly target lower-income households, in an effort to tackle energy poverty and ensure that a larger share of the benefits accrue to them. A closer look at affordability in emerging economies In emerging and developing economies, improved efficiency can increase the use of energy services as more disposable income becomes available. Improved access to services such as air conditioners, lighting, and clean cooking can lead to higher comfort and quality of life. As a result, the energy savings of efficiency measures can be initially lower than…
