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Integrating Distributed Energy Resources in China
Lessons from international experience Like no other country in the world, the People’s Republic of China (hereafter, “China”) is witnessing rapid growth in distributed energy resources (DERs), including rooftop solar photovoltaics, battery storage and electric vehicle (EV) chargers. As China advances towards its carbon peaking and neutrality goals, these resources offer a unique opportunity to support a more flexible, efficient and resilient power system, provided their integration is well-managed.This report analyses recent trends in DER deployment across China and highlights the emerging challenges their growth poses for power system planning and operation, calling for renewed attention to…
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Affordability
…of life. For instance, in sub‑Saharan Africa, 80% of the population could afford to buy and use all key appliances – including lights, TV, fans and a refrigerator – when choosing high‑efficiency models, provided there is sufficient access to electricity. This figure drops to 50% when choosing low‑efficiency models, leading many households to live without some appliances like a refrigerator. Key analysis Energy efficiency lowers energy bills for all households. These savings represent a higher proportion of disposable income for lower-income households, who spend more on energy. Policies can consider these distributional effects and explicitly target lower-income households, in an…
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Emission reductions
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores emission reductions. Why is energy efficiency important for emission reductions? Energy efficiency can reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants and make the energy system more sustainable. Key facts Since 2010, efficiency measures avoided energy-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions equivalent to nearly 20% of the global total in 2023. This is more than the entire energy-related emissions of India and the European Union combined. Accelerating efficiency improvements could deliver a third of all energy-related CO₂ emission reductions between now and 2030 in…
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Integrating Solar and Wind in Southeast Asia
Status and outlook for secure and efficient strategies Southeast Asia is experiencing one of the fastest electricity demand growths globally, with consumption set to double by 2050. While renewable deployment has accelerated in recent years, the region’s growing reliance on imported fossil-fuels for electricity generation, exposes countries to volatile fuel prices, potential supply disruptions and rising emissions. At the same time, the region possesses vast and diverse renewable resource potential. Variable renewable energy (VRE) - solar and wind - are now among the most cost-competitive generation options and are playing an increasingly important role in the region’s power…
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Jobs
…energy sector jobs are more prevalent in areas with lower unemployment rates. Energy efficiency investments also contribute to enhance the quality of jobs in other industries. Firms that invest in energy efficiency can significantly improve the quality of the working environment, with efficient lighting that provides increased visual comfort, or efficient ventilation systems that enhance air quality. By freeing up businesses’ spending through reduced energy bills, energy efficiency helps minimise cost pressures and supports employers in safeguarding jobs. Need more information? IEA (2020), World Energy Outlook Special Report - Sustainable Recovery.MICAT (2024), Empirical basis factsheet on Economic impacts – Employment effects.
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Carbon-Free Electricity in G20 Countries
Status and the way forward In 2024, the Republic of Korea proposed the Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) Initiative to promote the use of technology-neutral, carbon-free energy to decarbonise the energy sector.In line with this initiative, Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) commissioned this report to analyse the status and prospects of carbon-free energy in the electricity sector in G20 countries, and to provide policy recommendations to advance its progress.The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Korea Energy Economics Institute (KEEi) jointly produced this report.
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Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report, 2025
…owing in part to the Covid-19 pandemic and 2022 energy crisis. Nonetheless, globally, policy progress and technological advances have shown some promising results, notably in boosting renewable energy deployment and achieving modest (though still insufficient) improvements in energy efficiency. Elements of the SDG 7 agenda gained new momentum through various agreements in recent years, including the consensus reached at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to triple global renewable power capacity and double the global average annual rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030, and through the 2025 Dar es Salaam Declaration to expand electricity access…
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Gas Market Report, Q3-2025
This quarterly Gas Market Report provides a short-term outlook for natural gas supply, demand, trade and more in 2025 and 2026. It finds that following a strong expansion in 2024, global gas demand rose at a much slower rate in the first half of 2025. Macroeconomic uncertainty, together with tight supply fundamentals and relatively high prices, weighed on natural gas consumption, particularly in price-sensitive markets in Asia. Both China and India recorded demand declines in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. Europe’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports are expected to reach…
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Gas Market Report, Q2-2025
Global natural gas demand continued to expand through the 2024/25 heating season, with growth primarily driven by Europe and North America. Underground storage facilities and reserve mechanisms provided crucial flexibility to the gas system and ensured stable and secure gas supplies over the 2024/25 heating season. In 2025, global gas demand growth is forecast to slow from the previous year amid tighter market conditions, while heightened macroeconomic uncertainties may also weigh on demand.Low gas storage levels and reduced piped gas exports from Russia to the European Union are expected to keep market fundamentals tight. Supported by higher…
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China’s Official Energy Finance in Emerging and Developing Economies
…in some cases, grants. In recent years, however, the composition has shifted. While financing commitments are slowly rising again, following a drop during the COVID pandemic, policy-bank lending has significantly contracted and focused almost entirely on clean technologies. Meanwhile, state-owned enterprises, state-owned commercial banks and export credit agencies have taken on a larger role, increasingly through equity investments or guarantees. This shift suggests a move towards a more competitive – yet still state-directed – model of international energy engagement.These changes reflect a financing system adapting to new domestic and global circumstances rather than a withdrawal from China…
