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Global Methane Tracker 2026 Understanding methane emissions
Atmospheric methane concentrations continue to rise Methane (CH4) is the second-most harmful greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2), trapping outgoing heat and warming the atmosphere through a process known as radiative forcing. Though it lingers in the atmosphere for far less time (12 years, compared with centuries for CO2), methane absorbs substantially more energy while it does. Cutting methane emissions therefore promises significant near-term climate benefits. Methane carries other hazards, too: it contributes to the formation of ground-level (tropospheric) ozone, a harmful pollutant, and methane leaks can also pose explosion risks.Atmospheric methane concentrations today are 2…
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China’s Official Energy Finance in Emerging and Developing Economies Trends in China’s Outbound Energy Finance
This section examines the major shifts in China’s outbound energy finance over the past decade, with a particular focus on developments since 2022. Drawing on publicly available project information and systematically compiled datasets, the analysis highlights structural changes in the scale, composition and institutional drivers of official financing, with aggregate figures presented up to 2024. Together, these trends reveal how China’s role as an energy financier is evolving – from a gradual decline of traditional policy-bank lending to the rise of more commercial-oriented official providers – and what this means for investment patterns across EMDE. Overall financing trends…
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Gas Market Report, Q1-2026 Executive summary
The unfolding LNG wave is expected to drive stronger gas demand growth in 2026 2025 was a transitional year for natural gas markets. While supply fundamentals remained tight in the first half of the year, strong LNG production growth gradually eased market conditions starting from July. Following a relatively strong increase in 2024, global gas demand growth slowed markedly in 2025 due to a combination of weaker industrial activity and relatively high spot LNG prices in the first half of the year. Market opening reforms continued to gather pace in Asia while the European Union reached a historic decision to…
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Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit: Case studies
The following case studies demonstrate how different countries have successfully implemented energy efficiency policies across various sectors. These real-world examples are designed to support policymakers by offering practical insights into what works, under which conditions, and why.Each case study highlights specific policy instruments—such as regulations, information campaigns, or financial incentives—and shows how they have been applied in different contexts. They provide evidence on the outcomes achieved, lessons learned, and the challenges encountered during implementation. Readers are encouraged to explore the case studies by sector, policy type, or geographic region using the filters provided. Case studies bridge…
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Oil 2025 Executive summary
Turbulent times in oil markets Heightened geopolitical risks, unresolved trade tensions, and policy shifts have added myriad uncertainties to the oil market outlook. Since the start of the year, major economic forecasters have cut their outlooks for world GDP growth in 2025 by roughly half a percentage point to around 2.8% and see a below-trend pace of about 3% annually for the remainder of the decade, with knock-on implications for oil demand. With conflicts in the Middle East region at risk of intensifying and trade negotiations ongoing, uncertainties surrounding our forecasts are substantial. At the same time…
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Global Methane Tracker 2025 Regional insights
Central and South America The fossil fuel sector in Central and South America emitted around 8 Mt of methane in 2024, about 45% of which were from oil and gas facilities in Venezuela. Oil and gas facilities are the main sources of methane emissions in Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil, and coal mines are the largest source in Colombia.The upstream methane emissions intensity of oil and gas operations in Venezuela is six times the global average, and its flaring intensity is ten times the global average. Operations in Argentina and Ecuador are around twice the global average, while Brazil and Colombia…
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Ramping up Heat Pumps in Moldova: A Roadmap Building the market
This chapter focuses on driving consumer and industrial demand for heat pumps while building a base of manufacturers and installers. It discusses energy pricing, including taxes and levies on electricity and gas, carbon pricing and other types of instruments to encourage the deployment of heat pumps in Moldova. Communication A main barrier identified during stakeholder consultations for this study was a lack of consumer knowledge and experience with heat pumps. This is an issue that should be addressed upfront, as it can result in uncertainty about the operation of heat pumps and spreading of misinformation about their applications or limits…
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Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit Heat Pumps for Buildings
Heat Pumps for Buildings
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China’s Official Energy Finance in Emerging and Developing Economies Case 1. Uzbekistan 1-GW Solar PV Project
Project overview and impact Uzbekistan is beginning a rapid scale-up of renewable power, and large solar projects are essential for meeting its target to increase the share of renewables to 40% of total electricity generation by 2030. This is a strikingly ambitious objective given today’s starting point: in 2023, around 90% of Uzbekistan’s electricity was produced from fossil fuels, mainly in the form of natural gas, while solar and wind together accounted for less than 1%, and renewables more broadly reached only about 10%, almost all of which came from hydropower. At the same time, electricity demand…
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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…
