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Contributor
María Fernanda Suárez Londoño
Minister of Mines and Energy. María Fernanda Suárez Londoño has served as Colombia’s Minister of Mines and Energy since August 2018. Under her leadership, Colombia is implementing an ambitious energy efficiency plan. Ms Suárez has worked in senior roles in the public and private sectors, including at Colombian oil company Ecopetrol.
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Contributor
Damian Cortinas
Chair of the Board, European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E).
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Commentary
22 Jun 2026
How global oil supplies have readjusted to help fill the huge gap left by the Strait of Hormuz shock
…to date have prompted a wide range of responses by oil producers, refiners and consumers to adapt to the radically changed market conditions. Many consumers have scaled back their energy use and governments have taken steps to shelter households and businesses from the impacts, especially in the Asia-Pacific region where the effects have been felt most acutely. The IEA’s flagship Oil Market Report now estimates that global oil demand will drop by almost 5 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2026 year-on-year, and by 1.1 million barrels per day on average for…
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Commentary
13 May 2026
Energy crisis threatens world’s most vulnerable as cooking fuel shortages grow
…daily volumes of oil lost to global markets in March 2026 surpassed the peak supply losses of the two major oil shocks of the 1970s combined.Previous energy crises affected economies and societies in profound ways, often forcing households to ration fuel for their cars and heating for their homes. The 2026 crisis is being felt across the globe – and households in emerging and developing economies are now facing a particularly severe challenge: whether there is enough fuel simply to cook a meal, and whether they can still afford it.At the centre of this sits liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)…
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Commentary
27 Mar 2026
Policy and financing momentum sustain CCUS progress despite setbacks
CCUS Projects Database 2026 commentary Efforts to expand carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) took some important steps forward in 2025. Despite delays and cancellations in some areas, projects reached notable milestones in key markets, while growing financing provided further momentum.CCUS deployment in Europe saw a step-change as the world’s first dedicated carbon dioxide CO2 storage hub began operating in Norway. Major projects were also commissioned in China and North America, and the construction of new facilities began in eight countries worldwide. The newest annual update to the IEA’s CCUS Project Database – which incorporates developments between…
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Commentary
10 Feb 2026
What it would take to unlock the next phase of hydrogen growth
…in line with overall energy demand growth. This consumption was almost completely met with hydrogen produced from unabated fossil fuels, using 290 billion cubic metres of natural gas and 90 million tonnes of coal equivalent. However, alternative technologies that can produce low-emissions hydrogen have attracted a lot of interest from governments given their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diversify energy supply, particularly in countries that have a large dependence on fossil fuel imports.Low-emissions hydrogen production – or the production of hydrogen from low-emissions electricity via water electrolysis, from bioenergy or from fossil fuels in combination with carbon…
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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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Commentary
19 Jan 2026
7 certainties about energy for this age of uncertainty
…round-the-clock power supply. Energy security risks are multiplying, especially for critical minerals Traditional hazards affecting the security of oil and gas supplies are now accompanied by vulnerabilities in other areas, including electricity security, as highlighted by the recent major blackouts in Chile and Spain, and critical minerals. A single country, China, is the dominant refiner for 19 out of 20 energy-related strategic minerals, with an average market share of around 70%. More than half of these strategic minerals are subject to some form of export controls. Rising energy security risks from climate change are now also a…
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Commentary
21 Apr 2026
How governments can best support consumers during this energy crisis
How governments can best support consumers during this energy crisis The conflict in the Middle East has triggered a major shock to global energy markets, with the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz triggering the largest supply disruption in the history of oil markets and significantly impacting supplies of natural gas and a range of energy-related commodities.As concerns over supply security have grown, prices have risen across several parts of the energy system, increasing pressure on household budgets, public finances and economic activity more broadly. In response, many governments have announced emergency measures to protect consumers from…