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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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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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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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Land-Use Competition between Biodiversity and Net Zero Goals
A case study of Canada Meeting global targets for energy, climate, and biodiversity conservation has major implications for land use. To ensure that the tripling of renewable energy capacity by 2030 aligns with the goal of protecting 30% of the planet’s land and water by the same date, robust mechanisms that direct solar and wind projects away from the world’s most biodiverse areas are needed. To address the potential impacts of renewable development on biodiversity, the IEA developed the Renewable Energy and Land-Use Model (REALM), which identifies areas of overlap between renewable projects, critical mineral mining, and…
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Scaling Up Demand Flexibility
From peak management to efficient system operation This report has been developed as part of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Digital Demand-Driven Electricity Networks (3DEN) initiative to examine the growing importance of demand flexibility in electricity systems amid rising demand, increased renewable energy integration and the electrification of power systems. Case studies in chronological order to examine the changing role of demand flexibility over time from South Africa (2025), Thailand (2030) and Ireland (2035) demonstrate how demand flexibility improves reliability, reduces costs, supports renewables integration and manages network constraints. To realise these benefits, the report emphasises the role for…
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Stepping Up the Value Chain in Africa
Minerals, materials and manufacturing This report explores key opportunities for African countries to step up the value chain in the growing global market for energy technologies, identifying opportunities beyond a role centred around extraction and mining to one more focused on mineral beneficiation, material production and technology manufacturing. These opportunities would enable Africa to retain a greater share of the economic value generated across energy technology supply chains, and would simultaneously contribute to global efforts to enhance supply chain diversification and resilience.The economic benefits of the new energy economy are currently distributed very unevenly. Emerging markets and developing economies…
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Ramping up Heat Pumps in Moldova: A Roadmap Heat pumps in Moldova
This chapter explores the benefits of heat pumps and their potential application in Moldova. It discusses different heat pump types and potential applications, then dives into the benefits of heat pumps in terms of energy efficiency, energy security, greenhouse gas emissions, economic development and EU accession. The chapter then discusses the status of heat pumps in Moldova and their potential, addressing the applications for which they are most suited in the Moldovan context. Heat pump applications Heat pumps have been widely recognised as a key technology for decarbonising heating in buildings, industry and district heating systems. Global and European scenarios…
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Shipping
Shipping
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Unlocking Ukraine’s Hydrogen Opportunity: A Roadmap Unlocking the opportunity - A roadmap for action
Highlights Hydrogen represents a long-term opportunity for Ukraine, but action is required in the near term to unlock the full benefits. Work over the first 2-3 years after the war ends can lay the foundations for future market growth without large commitments, such as through studies, planning for regulation and de-risking. In a second stage (5 years) pilot projects would be built to develop experience in the private sector and inform policy. A final stage (10-20 years) would incorporate lessons learnt, with a focus on standardisation, replication and simplification to support large-scale deployment. Each stage…
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Unlocking Ukraine’s Hydrogen Opportunity: A Roadmap The hydrogen opportunity
Highlights Ukraine has 18-38 Mtpa of technical renewable hydrogen potential, though economic constraints would result in lower potential. Most potential is in regions with scarce water resources and competition from other industrial activities. Domestic demand for use for steel and fertilisers could reach 2.2 Mtpa, if pre-invasion capacity is restored, and the government target has set a target of 7.2 Mtpa of production by 2050. Most hydrogen production projects proposed prior to the invasion are close to the border with the European Union.Ukraine has a technical potential for solar PV and onshore wind equivalent to 9‑14 times its pre…