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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…
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Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as one of the most consequential technologies of our time. In recent years, the capabilities of AI systems have grown quickly due to improved computing power, a boom in data availability and breakthroughs in the design of AI models, leading to rapid adoption by both businesses and individuals. Though significant uncertainties remain, AI has the potential to transform the energy sector in the coming decade. It is set to drive a surge in electricity demand from data centres around the world while also unlocking significant opportunities to cut costs, enhance competitiveness and reduce emissions.To…
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What Next for the Global Car Industry Pathways to global EV cost-competitiveness
Highlights The gap in competitiveness in electric car manufacturing between new market-entrants located in China and incumbents in other countries has grown in the past 5 years. Battery electric car production costs are over 30% lower in China than in advanced economies, and around a third of the difference can be attributed to the battery. However, a similar production cost gap exists for conventional cars. Battery cell prices are, on average, over 30% lower in China than in Europe and over 20% lower than in the United States. Reducing the manufacturing cost gap is possible – half is due to efficiency…
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Breakthrough Agenda Report 2025 Hydrogen
State of the transition Emissions Hydrogen production today is associated with emissions of almost 1 300 Mt CO2 equivalent (CO2-eq) and there has been no progress in reducing them – in contrast, emissions have edged up in recent years.However, the increase in global production (which neared 100 Mt in 2024) has kept the global average emissions intensity of hydrogen production almost constant over the past 5 years. Costs Renewable and low-carbon hydrogen remains more expensive than hydrogen from unabated fossil fuels.The cost gap has increased recently due to slower-than-expected deployment, inflation and the fall in fossil fuel prices.Electrolyser…
- Executive summary
- Power
- Hydrogen
- Road transport
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+ 4 pages
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Global Energy and Climate Model Techno-economic inputs
The Global Energy and Climate Model (GEC Model) uses macro drivers, techno-economic inputs and policies as input data to design and calculate the scenarios. The values for the different data categories and scenarios used in the GEC Model 2025 can be downloaded here.In particular more details regarding power generation technology costs for the Current Policies Scenario, the Stated Policies Scenario and the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario can be downloaded in excel format, including detailed projections at the 2050 horizon regarding overnight capital costs, annual O&M costs, efficiencies and other contributors to electricity costs at regional…
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Global Hydrogen Review 2026 Cost acceptability
Analysis of the costs of hydrogen in different end-uses enables identification of the maximum acceptable costs for hydrogen users, i.e. the maximum amount that can be spent on the hydrogen feedstock within a low-emissions pathway while maintaining the same total levelised cost of production as the incumbent pathway to produce the same commodity.This can enable policy makers and investors to identify sectors with both high maximum acceptable hydrogen costs and high potential volumes that can serve as lead markets for low-emissions hydrogen. Cost acceptability can be influenced by policies and depends on technologies, fuels and…
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World Energy Outlook 2022 Outlook for liquid fuels
The situation for oil markets today could hardly be more different from what it was in 2020. Two years ago, lockdowns imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic caused a huge oversupply of oil, leading prices to collapse to an average of USD 44/barrel. Today, global supply is struggling to keep pace with demand, with many producers bumping up against capacity constraints and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sharply accentuating market tightness. Prices have soared to an average of USD 105/barrel so far in 2022.Global oil use is subject to sharply conflicting pressures. Some sectors, notably aviation, are…
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Dr Sultan Al Jaber
President-Designate for COP28. Dr Sultan Al Jaber is the President-Designate of COP28; the UAE’s Minister for Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy for Climate; Chairman of Masdar; and Group CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
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Clara Camarasa
Former Energy Efficiency Policy Analyst.
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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…
