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Energy Efficiency 2024 Does a heat pump work in a house with poor insulation?
Even with poor insulation, heat pumps still save energy As well as reducing CO2 emissions, a heat pump can use three to five times less energy than an efficient gas boiler. However, an often-heard argument when considering replacing a gas boiler is that the house needs to be well-insulated for the heat pump to work. Heat pumps do work best in a well-insulated house because their heat output is at a lower temperature than a traditional boiler, and they perform best when providing a consistent heat output with minimal heat losses. If a house loses a lot…
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Global Hydrogen Review 2026 Progress summary dashboard
Production Electrolysers Policies Investment
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State of Energy Policy 2026 Executive summary
Governments are navigating a sustained period of risks and disruptions In recent years, energy has been elevated to a core issue of national and economic security. Global supply chain disruptions after the Covid‑19 pandemic, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, trade restrictions on key products including critical minerals, several years of extreme heat affecting energy systems and conflicts affecting major energy suppliers have unfolded in successive waves over the past five years. These events have brought long-standing energy security concerns back into sharp focus while exposing new vulnerabilities. They also highlight energy’s central role in geopolitics, with…
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Global Energy and Climate Model Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS)
The Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS) has a long pedigree in the International Energy Agency (IEA) family of scenarios. It was introduced in 2019 with this name, but it has much in common with the previous New Policies Scenario that dates back to the 2010 edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO). The intention of this scenario is to reflect the prevailing direction of travel for the energy system based on a detailed reading of the latest policy settings in countries around the world. It takes into account specific energy, climate and related industrial policies that have been adopted or put…
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Global Energy and Climate Model Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE)
The International Energy Agency (IEA) was asked by the COP26 Presidency in 2021 to give an indication of what achieving the 1.5 °C goal would mean for the energy sector. Responding to this request, the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE Scenario) was developed. It represents a global pathway towards the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, but not the only possible one. The IEA has always been clear that there are various paths to reach this objective and that each country will have its own route. Since 2021, the IEA has updated its NZE Scenario each year…
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Kenya 2024 Executive summary
Kenya has put in place significant energy policies and strategies, and with strong institutions and ambitious targets, the country is well-positioned to reach its energy goals and continue its economic growth and development.As the largest economy in Eastern Africa and a regional leader in energy development, Kenya has made remarkable progress in increasing the rate of access to electricity among its population, putting the country on track to reach universal access to electricity by 2030. Kenya has set an ambitious target in its Vision 2030 of becoming a newly industrialising middle-income country with a high quality of…
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Russia's War on Ukraine
The new energy world The global energy landscape has changed dramatically The energy sector continues to feel the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which in February 2022 sparked the first truly global energy crisis. Two years on, energy prices have pulled back from record highs, but trends vary widely among regions. In many parts of the world, prices are still elevated – holding back economic growth, straining the finances of households and businesses, and complicating efforts to improve access to electricity. Energy markets, faced with an unusually high degree of geopolitical uncertainty, remain on edge.In Ukraine, the energy sector…
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Electricity Mid-Year Update 2025 Supply: Renewables grow the most, followed by gas and nuclear
As highlighted in our annual Electricity 2025 report, low-emissions energy sources are reaching new milestones globally in our forecast period. Renewables are poised to surpass coal-fired generation, depending on weather trends and economic developments, either as early as 2025 or in 2026. As a result, coal’s share in total generation is set to drop below 33% for the first time in the last 100 years.Solar PV and wind energy are key drivers of this trend, with their combined share in global electricity generation expected to rise from 15% in 2024 to 17% in 2025 and to above…
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Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit Buildings
Introduction Buildings account for about 30% of final energy consumption globally and more than half of electricity consumption. Doubling the global annual energy intensity improvement by 2030 would require buildings to become more efficient rapidly. An integrated policy approach combining regulation, information and incentives is the most effective way to achieve this goal. Regulatory standards such as building energy codes are among the most effective policies to not only boost energy performance and reduce emissions, but also to improve occupants' health, comfort and productivity – while enhancing climate resilience and mitigating energy price fluctuations. Buildings built after a code is introduced can…
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Electricity Mid-Year Update 2025 Emissions: Power generation CO2 emissions are plateauing
Global emissions from electricity generation rose by 1.2% in 2024, following an increase of 1.6% in 2023. Last year was even hotter than in 2023 – making it the warmest year on record – with the heat waves boosting electricity demand for cooling. Nonetheless, growth in power sector emissions showed signs of slowing down as rapid deployment of renewables constrained increases in fossil-fired generation. As this trend continues, we expect 2025 emissions to plateau and remain relatively unchanged. In 2026, we forecast a slight decline of less than 1%, as the increase in low-emissions generation depresses fossil-fired…