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The State of Energy Innovation 2026 Executive summary
…intensive: one in ten patents is related to energy – more than for chemicals, pharmaceuticals or transport.Today, the context for energy innovation tilts towards competitiveness and security. In our survey of experts and practitioners, 80% of respondents placed energy security among the top three drivers of energy innovation in 2025, ahead of affordability, GHG emissions and national economic performance. Many of the innovation-relevant policies announced in 2025, including the US Genesis Mission and the proposed EU Competitiveness Fund, promote technological strength for economic competitiveness and energy security. This may boost technologies that support critical minerals supplies, nuclear, power grids…
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Energy Efficiency 2025 Industry
…heat production, and much of this required heat falls within low-temperature ranges (up to 200°C), which could be electrified with existing technologies, such as heat pumps. What are the key measures to accelerate progress? Upgrading motor systems is a key area to promote industrial efficiency. Countries can implement more stringent standards for new motors and equipment, such as fans, pumps and compressors. Additionally, promoting the use of variable-speed drives, through regulations and targeted incentives, can further increase savings in variable-load applications.Electrifying low-temperature heat using heat pumps is another important lever to accelerate efficiency progress, particularly…
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Gaining an Edge Opportunities in efficiency markets
As market demand grows, the manufacturing of energy efficiency technologies represents a new opportunity Facing volatile energy prices, rising energy security risks and stricter regulations, all sectors are turning to energy efficiency technologies to reduce consumption and manage these growing challenges. At the same time, governments around the world committed at COP28 in Dubai in 2023 to work collectively to double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements.These dynamics have triggered a strong increase in demand for energy efficiency technologies. For example, the market for electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries has grown nearly six-fold from 2020…
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World Energy Employment 2024 Executive summary
…such as the United States, the European Union and Japan in 2023. However, in many emerging and developing economies other than China, clean energy’s share of new jobs is below 2%. Employment in oil and gas increased in 2023, but coal jobs are in structural decline Overall fossil fuel employment grew by 3% in 2023, but firms took varied approaches in balancing near-term labour demand against the longer-term outlook. The oil and gas supply sector added nearly 600 000 jobs after a period of cautious post-pandemic rehiring, with new liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure and upstream develo...
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World Energy Investment 2025 China
…seen from USD 88 billion in transmission and distribution investment in 2025. Heatwaves and industrial demand spikes have exposed weaknesses in China’s grid, while rapid renewable deployment has outpaced grid expansion, leading to higher curtailment rates and ineffective transmission to areas of high energy demand in the east. Second is the continued expansion of coal, with investment expected to exceed USD 54 billion in 2025. While coal generation could serve as a supplementary backup to renewables, the scale of investment points to a deeper reliance on thermal power, driven by persistent concerns over electricity security.Chinese energy investment has…
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World Energy Outlook 2025 Setting the scene
Context and scenario design All sources of energy increased in 2024 to meet the world’s rising energy needs. Electricity use expanded rapidly across a range of sectors. Deployment of renewable power generation again broke records in 2024, meeting more than 70% of the increase in electricity demand. Consumption of each of the fossil fuels rose. Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reached another all-time high. The energy sector faces many uncertainties. The global economy is projected to grow at an average rate of 3% in the 2024-2030 period, but changes in the global policy environment and…
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Energy Technology Perspectives 2026 Energy technology manufacturing and trade
Recent trends Global investment in manufacturing capacity for six clean energy technologies – solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, batteries, electric vehicles (EVs), electrolysers and heat pumps – dropped below USD 200 billion in 2024, down from nearly USD 220 billion in 2023. This downwards trend is estimated to have continued in 2025, mainly due to weaker solar PV and wind manufacturing investment in China. The United States and the European Union are estimated to have accounted for around 30% of global manufacturing investment combined in 2025, up from 15% in 2023, marginally increasing global supply chain diversification. After dipping in 2024, global trade in clean energy technologies recovered in…
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Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025 Innovation in mining, refining and recycling to promote diversification
…reduce water consumption, waste generation and emissions all along the supply chain. These innovations can help achieve various policy goals: improving security of supply, enhancing production and operational efficiency, boosting yield rates, lowering environmental and social impacts, and shortening project timelines. A range of emerging innovations hold the potential to transform mineral production. Examples include the lowering of energy and capital intensity of rare earths production by leveraging ionic adsorption clay deposits (IAC); boosting overall supply levels for lithium through the commercialisation of direct lithium extraction (DLE); reducing energy and emissions intensity for synthetic graphite production through novel technologies; accelerating…
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Sheltering From Oil Shocks Oil use in industry
…naphtha, ethane or gasoil – as a feedstock without requiring equipment modifications. Prioritising the processing of oil feedstocks that are more available could help release pressure on the others. Meanwhile, industrial oil-consuming facilities can save additional fuel in the short-term through maintenance checks and optimising how equipment is operated. Measures vary by site but typically include shutting down equipment when not in use, reducing temperature and pressure setpoints to only what is necessary, fixing leaks and maintenance issues, and improving scheduling so processes run more efficiently.Impact: The degree of flexibility in petrochemical production and the level of stocks…
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World Energy Outlook 2022 The global energy crisis
…ways. It has already prompted a host of measures aimed at strengthening energy security, including support to build domestic production capability in key sectors.One key question is whether today’s crisis will lead to acceleration in energy transitions, or whether a combination of economic turmoil and short-term policy choices will slow momentum. On the one hand, high fossil fuel prices and record levels of emissions offer strong reasons to move away from reliance on these fuels or to use them more efficiently. On the other, energy security concerns may spur renewed investments in fossil fuel supply and infrastr...
