Oil and gas producers in the Middle East and North Africa have been a cornerstone of the global energy system for decades, recently accounting for about 50% of oil exports and 15% of natural gas exports worldwide. As markets tighten due to lost supplies from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, Middle Eastern and North African producers with a long track record of providing stable energy supplies could play a vital role in averting global shortages.  

But this near-term increase in demand for oil and gas from non-Russian suppliers contrasts with the need for longer-term structural declines in global fossil fuel use as energy systems transition towards cleaner energy sources. The immediate incentives facing producers amid today’s crisis could lead to longer-term investments that are inconsistent with sustainable energy pathways. How can these tensions be reconciled?

The producer economies of the Middle East and North Africa have various options to...

Food prices have increased steeply over the last two years and appear set to go higher following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, putting millions of people at risk. While the current tensions in food supply chains are caused by a multitude of factors, the link with the global energy crisis should not be overlooked. The disruptions caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine have brought the intertwined nature of the world’s energy and food supply chains into sharp focus.

According to the World Food Programme, the number of people facing acute food insecurity more than tripled between 2017 and 2021, and could further increase by 17% to 323 million this year as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The surge in food prices since mid-2020 has been driven by factors such as the recovery in demand following the Covid-19 crisis, adverse weather impacts on supply, a growing number of trade restrictions on food products, and rapidly soaring input costs, notably energy and...

"Energy market developments in recent months – especially in Europe – have proven once again the essential role of renewables in improving energy security, in addition to their well-established effectiveness at reducing emissions."

Food prices have increased steeply over the last two years and appear set to go higher following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, putting millions of people at risk. While the current tensions in food supply chains are caused by a multitude of factors, the link with the global energy crisis should not be overlooked. The disruptions caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine have brought the intertwined nature of the world’s energy and food supply chains into sharp focus.

According to the World Food Programme, the number of people facing acute food insecurity more than tripled between 2017 and 2021, and could further increase by 17% to 323 million this year as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The surge in food prices since mid-2020 has been driven by factors such as the recovery in demand following the Covid-19 crisis, adverse weather impacts on supply, a growing number of trade restrictions on food products, and rapidly soaring input costs, notably energy and...

The correct messaging sets the foundation for an effective awareness campaign.

The first choice is narrative: what themes or stories will be used to communicate the issues and prompt the desired actions. Campaigns typically focus the narrative around three approaches:

1. Saving money: for example, the America Saves save energy save money campaign gives homeowners energy tips based on real cost-saving projections.

Food prices have increased steeply over the last two years and appear set to go higher following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, putting millions of people at risk. While the current tensions in food supply chains are caused by a multitude of factors, the link with the global energy crisis should not be overlooked. The disruptions caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine have brought the intertwined nature of the world’s energy and food supply chains into sharp focus.

According to the World Food Programme, the number of people facing acute food insecurity more than tripled between 2017 and 2021, and could further increase by 17% to 323 million this year as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The surge in food prices since mid-2020 has been driven by factors such as the recovery in demand following the Covid-19 crisis, adverse weather impacts on supply, a growing number of trade restrictions on food products, and rapidly soaring input costs, notably energy and...

Despite the persistent pandemic-induced supply chain challenges, construction delays, and record-level raw material and commodity prices, renewable capacity additions in 2021 increased 6% and broke another record, reaching almost 295 GW. This growth is slightly higher than the forecast last year in the IEA’s Renewables 2021. Globally, the 17% decline in annual wind capacity additions in 2021 was offset by an increase in solar PV and growth in hydropower installations. The expansion of bioenergy, concentrated solar power (CSP) and geothermal was stable in 2021 compared with 2020. In terms of speed of growth, renewable capacity’s year-on-year increase last year was slower, following an exceptional jump in 2020 when Chinese developers rushed to connect projects before the phase out of subsidies, especially for onshore wind. 

Clean energy technologies require a variety of minerals and metals, and today’s tense geopolitical situation, rising commodity prices and supply chain bottlenecks have highlighted the need for serious actions to enhance the diversity and resilience of their supply. At the IEA Ministerial Meeting in March 2022, IEA Member Countries voted to endorse and deepen the IEA’s work on critical minerals as part of the Agency’s new mandates to strengthen and broaden its work on energy security.

Prices of many minerals and metals that are essential for clean energy technologies have recently soared due to a combination of rising demand, disrupted supply chains and concerns around tightening supply. The prices of lithium and cobalt more than doubled in 2021, and those for copper, nickel and aluminium all rose by around 25% to 40%.

The price trends have continued into 2022. The price of lithium has increased an astonishing two-and-a-half times since the start of the...

Despite the persistent pandemic-induced supply chain challenges, construction delays, and record-level raw material and commodity prices, renewable capacity additions in 2021 increased 6% and broke another record, reaching almost 295 GW. This growth is slightly higher than the forecast last year in the IEA’s Renewables 2021. Globally, the 17% decline in annual wind capacity additions in 2021 was offset by an increase in solar PV and growth in hydropower installations. The expansion of bioenergy, concentrated solar power (CSP) and geothermal was stable in 2021 compared with 2020. In terms of speed of growth, renewable capacity’s year-on-year increase last year was slower, following an exceptional jump in 2020 when Chinese developers rushed to connect projects before the phase out of subsidies, especially for onshore wind. 

The International Energy Agency is sharing the stories of the clean energy innovators who are vital to addressing the world’s energy and climate challenges and take us a net zero emissions future. This season of Innovation Frontlines focuses on innovators and entrepreneurs in India, featuring in-depth and personal interviews with founders of clean energy technology start-ups. Each episode helps illuminate a different part of the technology challenge: What is the right business model for batteries in a country like India? How do you raise financing for a new fuel cell invention? Where are the opportunities in international value chains? How can technology and social entrepreneurship work together?

The Methane Tracker 2022 database presents the IEA’s country-by-country estimates of energy-related methane emissions. For the oil and gas sector, we present detailed estimates for the abatement potential – and costs or savings – from different technology

People across the European Union want to take action to help Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. Many are also experiencing higher energy bills because of the energy crisis exacerbated by the war. Using less energy is a concrete way for Europeans to reduce their bills, cut reliance on Russian fossil fuels, demonstrate solidarity with the Ukrainian people, and support climate action.

Citizens and governments can make major positive impacts if they act together and decisively. The International Energy Agency (IEA), in coordination with the European Commission, has therefore developed a series of simple steps citizens can take to save energy now, drawing on the IEA’s recent 10-Point Plan to Reduce the European Union’s Reliance on Russian Natural Gas and 10-Point Plan to Cut Oil Use. The new analysis also identifies actions that companies and national and local governments can take to support consumer action and unlock even more energy savings....

"Energy market developments in recent months – especially in Europe – have proven once again the essential role of renewables in improving energy security, in addition to their well-established effectiveness at reducing emissions."

The Methane Tracker 2022 database presents the IEA’s country-by-country estimates of energy-related methane emissions. For the oil and gas sector, we present detailed estimates for the abatement potential – and costs or savings – from different technology