-
Austria 2026 Executive summary
Austria has one of the most ambitious climate and energy targets in the world; achieving them requires actionable delivery strategies and adequate funding. The country’s commitments to climate neutrality by 2040 – a full decade ahead of the European Union (EU) – and a 100% renewable share in the national annual electricity balance by 2030 are bold. These goals are underpinned by a large hydropower fleet (accounting for around 60% of electricity generation), including 5.6 gigawatts (GW) of pumped hydro storage and a nationwide smart meter roll-out. Austria has the highest share of renewable energy in electricity consumption in the…
-
Sustainable Transport Policy for Armenia: A Roadmap Accelerating sustainable transport
Amid a rapidly changing energy landscape and mounting environmental pressures, Armenia faces both an urgent challenge and an opportunity to reshape its transport system. As it seeks to balance the twin goals of enhanced energy security and reduced dependence on imported fossil fuels, Armenia has made the transition to sustainable transport a top priority.This chapter lays out a forward-looking framework designed to accelerate Armenia’s shift to an efficient, low-carbon and resilient transport system. Drawing on international best practices, the recommendations focus on three interconnected priorities: electrifying the road transport fleet, boosting overall transport system efficiency and…
-
Scaling Up Transition Finance Executive Summary
Successful transitions need finance that goes where the emissions are Actions by the world’s most emissions-intensive sectors, companies, and countries are crucial to placing the world on a sustainable pathway. Yet, investments that could deliver meaningful reductions in their environmental footprint often do not receive sufficient financial support. Currently, finance is drawn heavily to certain “green” assets and activities—most prominently renewable power. While vital, these investments alone cannot deliver all the changes needed to cut global emissions, especially in areas where clean technologies are not yet commercially available or cost competitive. This is where transition finance comes…
-
Global EV Outlook 2025 Trends in electric car affordability
Falling battery pack prices and intensifying competition underpin progress in electric car affordability Today, electric cars often have a lower total cost of ownership than ICE cars over the vehicle lifetime, due to reduced fuel and maintenance expenses. However, reducing the purchase price gap will be key to broader uptake. In Europe, for example, respondents to a 2023 survey by the European Commission identified the price of battery electric cars as the main barrier to adoption. While battery electric car prices generally fell in 2024, the price gap with ICE cars remains in most regions. Electric car affordability has made…
-
Valeria Arroyave Cardozo
Project Manager. Valeria Arroyave Cardozo is a Project Manager at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), where she leads the Energy Efficiency for Livelihoods in Africa (EELA) Regional Project. The initiative focuses on transforming markets for energy-efficient appliances and services through enhanced policies, increased investments, and the development of sustainable local value chains.Since joining UNIDO in 2021, she has contributed to global efforts in sustainable cooling, energy efficiency, and the critical minerals supply chain, supporting the broader clean energy transition. Previously, Valeria spent five years at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), specializing in climate transparency and strengthening national capacities to meet climate commitments through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting.She holds an engineering degree and a Master of Public Administration and Sustainable Management. V...
-
Energy Efficiency 2025 Industry
How and where is energy used? Total final consumption in 2024 was over 450 EJ and has grown by around 25 EJ since 2019. Industry accounts for the largest share of this demand, at nearly 40%. Industry saw the strongest growth since 2019, contributing two-thirds of the total increase in global energy demand. The industrial sector can be divided into energy-intensive industries, responsible for three-quarters of total industrial demand, and less intensive industries, which are responsible for the remainder.In energy-intensive industries, energy is largely used in processes that require high-temperature heat, generally above 500°C. Efficiency improvements…
-
Energy and AI AI and climate change
The emergence of AI has both raised concerns that AI-fuelled data centre growth might fuel climate change and also raised expectations that AI applications in the energy sector could help reduce emissions by unlocking new optimisations and efficiencies. As over 100 countries – and the European Union – have targets to reach net zero emissions between 2030 and 2070, it is pertinent to explore what AI’s impact on emissions could potentially be. Global fuel combustion CO2 emissions are estimated to reach 35 000 million tonnes (Mt) in 2024. Data centres account for around 180 Mt of indirect CO2 emissions today from the consumption…
-
Renewables 2021 Renewable heat
Recent trends Global progress on conversion to renewable heat has been limited Heat is the world’s largest energy end use, accounting for almost half of global final energy consumption in 2021, significantly more than electricity (20%) and transport (30%). Industrial processes are responsible for 51% of the energy consumed for heat, while another 46% is consumed in buildings for space and water heating, and, to a lesser extent, cooking. The remainder is used in agriculture, primarily for greenhouse heating. Global heat demand declined by 2% in 2020, primarily due to the curtailment of economic activity as a result of…
-
What Next for the Global Car Industry Present and future prospects of electric car manufacturing
Highlights New market-entrants focusing on electric car production are expanding rapidly. Pure-play electric car makers, especially those from China and US-based Tesla, are capturing a growing share of sales; some 45% of global electric car sales in 2024 are from pure-play electric car makers, compared to 35% in 2019. The growth in electric car sales affects both car makers and automotive suppliers, especially those producing powertrains and related components. The automotive supplier market is worth about USD 1.3 trillion, equivalent to over 40% of the global car market. For all components except batteries, companies from…
-
Ramping up Heat Pumps in Moldova: A Roadmap Financing the transition
This chapter considers the economics of heat pumps versus gas boilers and biomass stoves. It explores the role of grants and subsidies and how these affect the lifetime cost of owning a heat pump compared to other heating technologies. Different policy options are then discussed, including potential avenues for multi-lateral policy support at both national and local levels. As previously mentioned, a main barrier to heat pump adoption is the high upfront cost relative to prevailing heating technologies. Governments can help to lower this hurdle through mechanisms such as upfront subsidies or grants and low-interest loans. Another way…
