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Designing Energy Efficiency Policies to Enhance Affordability
…on designing energy efficiency policies that support affordability, particularly in the buildings sector.As part of this work, the IEA conducted a survey with G7 governments to better understand the obstacles they face. On the consumer side, major challenges include the landlord-tenant split incentive, high upfront costs and administrative complexity. On the supply side, governments identified skills shortages and difficulties in reaching underserved communities.The report analyses the affordability-focused energy efficiency policies of G7 countries. These include targeted financial support, simplified programme design, strong local delivery models, and better integration with workforce development. Embedding affordability into energy efficiency…
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Battery Circularity
…into the key issues for battery technologies, the report presents the very latest data as a guide to decision makers from the public and private sectors. It sheds light on the main locations of patenting, the leading patentors in the world and the technology categories receiving the most innovation attention.More than one in four cars sold globally in 2025 was an electric vehicle, reliant on lithium-ion or other modern batteries. But around 1.2 million electric vehicle batteries could reach the end of their lives in 2030 and 14 million in 2040, and today’s supply chains for…
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Outlook for Biogas and Biomethane
A global geospatial assessment Biogases play an important and growing role in energy systems. Produced locally using organic waste, biogas and biomethane can contribute to energy security, waste management, emissions reductions and agricultural development.In recent years, demand for biomethane – also known as “renewable natural gas” – has grown rapidly in many countries, supported by dozens of new policies. As a low-emissions substitute for natural gas, the use of biomethane has been targeted across a wide range of sectors, including power, industry, transport and buildings. This report presents a first-of-its-kind global geographical analysis of the untapped potential…
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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.
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Rare Earth Elements
…the current state of the rare earth elements market, examining demand and supply dynamics and key technological developments. It analyses the full value chain from mining to permanent magnet production, evaluates vulnerabilities across supply chains, and highlights the implications of potential supply disruptions. Based on these analyses, the report outlines eight targeted policy recommendations that can pave the way for more secure, diversified and resilient rare earth element supply chains.The analysis is founded on the work of the IEA Critical Minerals Security Programme and aims to inform the discussions at the G7 meetings under the French Presidency in 2026.
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Policy options to accelerate distributed solar PV in Ukraine
…energy storage deployment will support Ukraine in establishing energy security.In the year following the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, available dispatchable power generation capacity halved from roughly 38 GW to 19 GW. After severe attacks in spring 2024, capacity declined further, down to 12 GW. Towards the end of 2024 Ukraine was able to restore 3 GW and has worked to restore and add additional capacity throughout 2025, despite ongoing attacks.Distributed solar PV has played a key role, providing cost effective and rapid increases in electricity generation capacity, contributing to system resilience and overall energy…
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Financing the Modernisation of Power Systems Beyond Coal
…options to reduce emissions from operating plants, and considers the investment and power system planning challenges of replacing coal generation while maintaining essential system services. It also reviews project‑based and emerging jurisdictional approaches to transition credits, focusing on methodologies for the early retirement of grid‑connected coal plants and their replacement with clean energy.By examining these issues from a power system, investment and carbon markets perspective, the report aims to provide a clearer understanding of coal transition strategies and outlines recommendations for countries that may choose to explore transition credits as an option to reduce the role of coal in…
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Gas Market Lessons from the 2022-2023 Energy Crisis
The 2022-2023 energy crisis tested the resilience of the global gas and LNG markets with the most severe gas supply shock in history. During the crisis, natural gas-importing markets around the world felt the pressures of record-high gas prices, including the scale-back in access to energy, the impediment to economic activity and the extra burden on government budgets. Market responses varied but governments were quick to react as the challenges of security of supply became apparent. Post-crisis, markets must continue to adapt as the effects of the crisis continue to influence security of gas supply…
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Multiple Benefits of Energy Efficiency for Business
Energy efficiency is often described as the “first fuel” because the cheapest and most secure energy is the energy that is not used. For businesses, this begins with a straightforward benefit: lower energy bills. In many cases, efficiency investments can pay back quickly through reduced energy costs alone. However, the value of energy efficiency extends beyond energy savings.This report builds on the IEA’s work on the multiple benefits of energy efficiency and focusses on how these gains materialise in businesses. Key benefits range from productivity and product quality improvements to brand image or health benefits for employees and…
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Policy Toolbox for Industrial Decarbonisation
…practices for a wide range of policy instruments, as well as opportunities for international collaboration. It provides examples of relevant policies applied around the world.The Policy Toolbox is divided into three broad areas with nine categories in total that group policy instruments according to their objectives. These broad areas are: Framework fundamentals, including (1) Establishing plans and policies for long-term GHG emissions reductions and (2) Mobilising finance and investment; Targeted actions for specific technologies and strategies, including (3) Managing existing assets and near-term investment, (4) Creating a market for near-zero emissions materials production, (5) Developing technologies…
