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Topic
Net Zero Emissions
An increasing number of countries have been making pledges to reduce their emissions to net zero in the coming decades. To inform these efforts, the IEA released a first-of-its-kind Net Zero Roadmap in 2021, outlining what would be required within the energy sector to achieve this goal at the global level by mid-century. An update to the Roadmap, which has served as an essential benchmark for policy makers, industry, the financial sector and civil society, was published in 2023.The Roadmap is based on the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions (NZE) Scenario, which portrays a pathway for the…
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Topic
Energy and Water
Energy and water are deeply and fundamentally connected Water is essential for almost every aspect of producing energy, from electricity generation to fossil fuel extraction to biofuels cultivation. In fact, the energy sector accounts for roughly 10% of all global freshwater withdrawals. Meanwhile, energy is crucial to maintaining global water supply. It is needed to extract water from lakes, rivers and oceans; lift groundwater from aquifers and pump it through pipes and canals; and treat water and deliver it to users.This interdependence is set to intensify in the coming years. Each resource faces rising demand and growing constraints in many…
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Topic
Access and Affordability
“An Affordable and Sustainable Energy System for Sub-Saharan Africa” (Energy Sub-Saharan Africa) is a five-year programme (2019-2024) funded by the European Union. It supports work with Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia, with the aim of promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth through the transition towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient energy sector, while delivering universal and affordable energy access to all. Today, 730 million people around the world live without access to electricity, while over 2 billion people continue to rely on harmful cooking fuels…
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Topic
Energy Innovation
CERT co-ordinates and promotes the development, demonstration and deployment of clean energy technologies. The CERT has established five working parties: the Working Party on Fossil Energy; the Working Party on Renewable Energy Technologies; the Working Party on Energy End-Use Technologies; the Fusion Power Co-ordinating Committee and the Working Party of Industrial Decarbonisation. The CERT has also established an Experts' Group on R&D Priority-Setting and Evaluation (EGRD) to advise on R&D priority-setting, linkages to governmental policy objectives and methods in the evaluation of R&D activities, and an understanding of emerging R&D topics. Energy…
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Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as one of the most consequential technologies of our time. In recent years, the capabilities of AI systems have grown quickly due to improved computing power, a boom in data availability and breakthroughs in the design of AI models, leading to rapid adoption by both businesses and individuals. Though significant uncertainties remain, AI has the potential to transform the energy sector in the coming decade. It is set to drive a surge in electricity demand from data centres around the world while also unlocking significant opportunities to cut costs, enhance competitiveness and reduce emissions.To…