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Designing Energy Efficiency Policies to Enhance Affordability
Examples from G7 countries Energy affordability has emerged as a critical concern in the context of rising global energy prices and growing inequality in energy access. Lower-income households spend a significantly higher share of their income on energy than wealthier households, leaving them exposed to price shocks and especially vulnerable when energy prices increase. Energy efficiency can play a key role in delivering lower energy bills, reducing emissions, and enhancing resilience. However, ensuring that all households benefit requires targeted, inclusive policy design.This issue was a central focus of an IEA workshop held in January 2025 with G7 country…
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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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Ramping up Heat Pumps in Moldova: A Roadmap
Buildings account for more than half of Moldova’s final energy consumption, with three-quarters of that used for space and water heating. At the same time, Moldova lacks domestic hydrocarbon resources and imports more than 80% of its primary energy. Heat pump technology offers Moldova an effective means of accelerating the transition in building heating.The recent expansion of Moldova’s solar and wind capacity also means that heat pumps can now play a greater role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and lowering local air pollution. Finally, Moldovan’s 2024 referendum, endorsing the goal of European Union membership, underscores…
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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…
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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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Pledges to Progress 2025
An assessment of transparency of the oil and gas industry’s emissions reduction efforts At COP28, more than 50 of the world’s leading oil and gas companies launched the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), laying out a series of ambitions to achieve net zero operational emissions by 2050. As global methane and flaring emissions continue to rise, these ambitions are more important than ever to reduce energy waste and mitigate the harmful consequences of climate change.To support accountability and transparency, the International Energy Agency (IEA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) and…
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Ukraine’s Energy Security
A pre-winter assessment As Ukraine enters its fourth winter of war, ensuring that residents retain reliable access to heat and power is of the utmost importance. While Ukraine made strong strides in rebuilding and strengthening the resilience of its energy system this past spring and summer, the situation remains fragile, and the risk of huge disruptions and widespread destabilisation remains – particularly as Russia expands the scope and sophistication of its attacks.This analysis builds on the IEA’s September 2024 report, Ukraine’s Energy Security and the Coming Winter. It provides an update on the latest developments through October…
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Czechia 2025
Energy Policy Review Government action plays a pivotal role in ensuring secure and sustainable energy transitions. Energy policy is critical not just for the energy sector but also for meeting environmental, economic and social goals. Governments need to respond to their country’s specific needs, adapt to regional contexts and help address global challenges. In this context, the International Energy Agency (IEA) conducts Energy Policy Reviews to support governments in developing more impactful energy and climate policies.This Energy Policy Review was prepared in partnership between the Government of Czechia and the IEA. It draws on the IEA’s extensive…
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Energy security
Multiple benefits of Energy Efficiency 2025 Energy efficiency provides multiple benefits. This page explores energy security. Why is energy efficiency important for energy security? Energy efficiency can help mitigate energy security risks by reducing the reliance on fossil fuel imports, improving grid reliability, and acting as a buffer to supply shocks. Key facts Efficiency gains from the last two decades avoided the need for 20% more fossil fuel imports in IEA countries. Energy efficiency and demand response can support grid reliability by reducing peak demand. For instance, more efficient air conditioners in India could lower the impact of heatwaves on…
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Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency
As energy efficiency continues to gain attention as a key resource for economic and social development across all economies, understanding its real value is increasingly important. The multiple benefits approach seeks to expand the perspective of energy efficiency beyond the traditional measure of energy savings by identifying and measuring its impacts in full bloom.
