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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
Climate Change
…larger scale, IEA analysis shows – with even greater international co-operation and ambition from policy makers, as well as the swift and full implementation of the energy commitments made at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. These include the global 2030 pledges to triple renewable power capacity, double energy efficiency progress, substantially reduce methane emissions, and accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. Clean energy growth is keeping the path to limiting global warming to 1.5 °C Established in 1993, CCXG activities are jointly supported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the IEA. Established…
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Commentary
13 Feb 2026
Global battery markets are growing strongly – and so are the supply risks
…seen in 2020.At the same time, regional price disparities have widened. In 2025, battery pack prices in China were 30% lower than in the United States, and 35% lower than in Europe. Record low lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery prices also contributed significantly to overall cost reductions in 2025. LFP battery prices fell by more than 15%, compared with less than 5% for lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NMC) batteries – the second most deployed battery chemistry globally. This made LFP batteries on average more than 40% cheaper than NMC alternatives. As a result, LFP accounted for over half of EV…
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Commentary
06 Mar 2026
The next wave of LED lighting: Smarter, circular and more efficient
…premium and professional LEDs exceeding 200 lm/W. Supported by strong policies and innovation, LEDs have become one of the biggest energy efficiency success stories of recent years, with long lifetimes and falling costs helping them dominate global markets. The efficiency gains have contributed to improved energy security, reduced energy bills and avoided higher emissions.Yet the global LED transformation is not over, and a second wave of deployment is now taking shape. Uptake remains uneven across regions, while demand for brighter spaces and illuminated infrastructure continues to rise around the world. Moreover, the first generation of already-installed LEDs…
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Commentary
13 Mar 2026
Why the growth of energy service companies is uneven globally
ESCO The global annual ESCO market growth rate has more than doubled over the past five years Energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective tools for enhancing energy security, reducing household energy bills and supporting countries’ efforts to reduce emissions. Energy service companies (ESCOs) – firms that develop and implement energy efficiency projects typically financed through verified energy savings – are playing a growing role in delivering energy efficiency improvements across buildings, industry and transport infrastructure worldwide. By integrating project development, financing and performance guarantees, ESCOs can offer a proven way to reduce upfront investment barriers and shift technical and…
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Energy system
Electric Vehicles
Global electric car sales continue to break records as affordability improves
Despite recent economic headwinds that have put pressure on the auto sector, global sales of electric cars have continued to break records as electric models become increasingly affordable. Electric car sales exceeded 17 million globally in 2024, reaching a sales share of more than 20%. Just the additional 3.5 million electric cars sold in 2024 compared with the previous year is more than the total number of electric cars sold worldwide in 2020.
In 2025, sales of electric cars are expected to surpass 20 million, accounting for over…
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Energy system
Coal
Global coal demand to remain on a plateau in 2025 and 2026
Despite unusual trends across several major markets in the first half of 2025, global coal demand is likely to remain broadly unchanged to 2027 as underlying structural drivers of the world’s coal use remain stable.
Global coal demand increased to a new all-time high in 2024 of around 8.8 billion tonnes, up 1.5% from 2023, as rising consumption in China, India, Indonesia and other emerging economies more than offset declines in advanced economies in Europe, North America and northeast Asia. However, several of those…
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Energy system
Natural Gas
The coming LNG wave is set to profoundly transform the global gas market
Global gas markets, which have been tight and volatile for several years, are set to undergo major changes by the end of this decade. The unfolding coming wave of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity is set to rebalance the global gas market, enhance energy supply security and improve the affordability of natural gas.
About 300 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year of LNG export capacity – a record – is set to be added by 2030, primarily supported by liquefaction capacity additions in the United States and Qatar…