Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) will need to be a key pillar in successful clean energy transitions. It is the only group of technologies that contributes both to directly reducing emissions in critical economic sectors and to removing CO2 to balance emissions that cannot be avoided – a balance that is at the heart of net-zero emission goals.

CO2 storage is a crucial component of the CCUS value chain. While CO2 can be captured from a range of sources – including from fossil- and biomass-based power generation, industrial processes and directly from the air – permanently storing this CO2 is the essential enabler of large-scale emissions reductions. Technology-based approaches to removing carbon from the atmosphere, critically depend on CO2 storage for “negative emissions”.

In IEA analysis of net-zero pathways, the need for CO2 storage grows from around 40 Mt/year today to more than 5000 Mt/year by mid-century. Carbon management...

The IEA’s landmark Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 highlights the monumental task of placing the global economy on a path to net-zero emissions by mid-century. The transition to a clean energy system affects every aspect of society, with uneven impacts across sectors, communities, regions and countries.

Employment is a top concern for policy makers. Where will jobs be gained, and where will they be lost? And how will this affect the wider economies and communities these jobs support?

The transition towards net-zero emissions will lead to an overall increase in energy sector jobs. In the pathway set out in the IEA’s Net-Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario, an estimated 14 million new jobs are generated in energy supply by 2030. Over the same period, fossil fuel production could lose 5 million positions, resulting in a net gain of 9 million in this pathway. 

"Not only is clean energy investment still far from what’s needed to put the world on a path to reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century, it’s not even enough to prevent global emissions from surging to a new record."

"Global carbon emissions are set to jump by 1.5 billion tonnes this year. This is a dire warning that the economic recovery from the Covid crisis is currently anything but sustainable for our climate."

The energy sector is the source of around three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions today and holds the key to averting the worst effects of climate change, perhaps the greatest challenge humankind has faced. Reducing global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to net zero by 2050 is consistent with efforts to limit the long-term increase in average global temperatures to 1.5?C. This calls for nothing less than a complete transformation of how we produce, transport and consume energy. The growing political consensus on reaching net zero is cause for considerable optimism about the progress the world can make, but the changes required to reach net-zero emissions globally by 2050 are poorly understood. A huge amount of work is needed to turn today’s impressive ambitions into reality, especially given the range of different situations among countries and their differing capacities to make the necessary changes. This special IEA report sets out a pathway for achieving this goal,...

"The rebound in energy investment is a welcome sign, but much greater resources have to be mobilised and directed to clean energy technologies to put the world on track to reach net-zero emissions by 2050"

The energy sector is the source of around three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions today and holds the key to averting the worst effects of climate change, perhaps the greatest challenge humankind has faced. Reducing global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to net zero by 2050 is consistent with efforts to limit the long-term increase in average global temperatures to 1.5?C. This calls for nothing less than a complete transformation of how we produce, transport and consume energy. The growing political consensus on reaching net zero is cause for considerable optimism about the progress the world can make, but the changes required to reach net-zero emissions globally by 2050 are poorly understood. A huge amount of work is needed to turn today’s impressive ambitions into reality, especially given the range of different situations among countries and their differing capacities to make the necessary changes. This special IEA report sets out a pathway for achieving this goal,...

Global

After a decade of rapid growth, in 2020 the global electric car stock hit the 10 million mark, a 43% increase over 2019, and representing a 1% stock share. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for two-thirds of new electric car registrations and two-thirds of the stock in 2020. China, with 4.5 million electric cars, has the largest fleet, though in 2020 Europe had the largest annual increase to reach 3.2 million.

Overall the global market for all types of cars was significantly affected by the economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic. The first part of 2020 saw new car registrations drop about one-third from the preceding year. This was partially offset by stronger activity in the second-half, resulting in a 16% drop overall year-on-year. Notably, with conventional and overall new car registrations falling, global electric car sales share rose 70% to a record 4.6% in 2020.

About 3 million new electric cars...

The IEA and CMCC Weather for Energy Tracker is a new free platform showcasing weather-related data useful to understand, analyse and model the energy sector, from generation to use across sectors. Data is available at the grid, country and sub-national (new in June 2021 release) levels, with a daily and monthly resolution from 2000 to the latest available month, and including monthly climatologies and anomalies.

"The rebound in energy investment is a welcome sign, but much greater resources have to be mobilised and directed to clean energy technologies to put the world on track to reach net-zero emissions by 2050"

The IEA’s landmark Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 highlights the monumental task of placing the global economy on a path to net-zero emissions by mid-century. The transition to a clean energy system affects every aspect of society, with uneven impacts across sectors, communities, regions and countries.

Employment is a top concern for policy makers. Where will jobs be gained, and where will they be lost? And how will this affect the wider economies and communities these jobs support?

The transition towards net-zero emissions will lead to an overall increase in energy sector jobs. In the pathway set out in the IEA’s Net-Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario, an estimated 14 million new jobs are generated in energy supply by 2030. Over the same period, fossil fuel production could lose 5 million positions, resulting in a net gain of 9 million in this pathway. 

The contribution of CCUS to the energy transition will vary considerably across countries and regions. In the Sustainable Development Scenario, China sees the largest deployment of CCUS, accounting for around one-quarter of all the CO2 captured cumulatively to 2070. Europe and North America –two other key regions for CCUS activity – also see a big increase in capture capacity. From 2030, CCUS is deployed on a significant scale in other parts of Asia, notably India, and the Middle East. The United States is the global leader in CCUS, accounting for more than 60% of global CO2 capture capacity and half of all planned capacity, underpinned by new policy incentives and a supportive investment environment. The majority of stationary emission sources in the United States are located close to potential geological storage sites: 85% of emissions come from plants located within 100 km of a site and 80% within 50 km. Total potential storage is estimated at...

The energy sector is the source of around three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions today and holds the key to averting the worst effects of climate change, perhaps the greatest challenge humankind has faced. Reducing global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to net zero by 2050 is consistent with efforts to limit the long-term increase in average global temperatures to 1.5?C. This calls for nothing less than a complete transformation of how we produce, transport and consume energy. The growing political consensus on reaching net zero is cause for considerable optimism about the progress the world can make, but the changes required to reach net-zero emissions globally by 2050 are poorly understood. A huge amount of work is needed to turn today’s impressive ambitions into reality, especially given the range of different situations among countries and their differing capacities to make the necessary changes. This special IEA report sets out a pathway for achieving this goal,...

"Not only is clean energy investment still far from what’s needed to put the world on a path to reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century, it’s not even enough to prevent global emissions from surging to a new record."

The global auto industry suffered a punishing year in 2020 because of the major shock of Covid-19, but the electric car market bucked the wider trend with growth of over 40% and is on track for a decade of strong expansion, according to a new report published today by the International Energy Agency.

The IEA’s Global Electric Vehicle Outlook 2021 finds that despite the pandemic setting off a cascade of economic recessions, a record 3 million new electric cars were registered in 2020, a 41% increase from the previous year. By comparison, the global automobile market contracted 16% in 2020. Electric cars’ strong momentum has continued into this year, with sales in the first quarter of 2021 reaching nearly two and half times their level in the same period a year earlier.

Last year’s increase brought the number of electric cars on the world’s roads to more than 10 million, with another roughly 1 million electric vans, heavy trucks and buses. For the first...

"As economies rebound, we’ve seen a surge in electricity generation from fossil fuels. To shift to a sustainable trajectory, we need to massively step up investment in clean energy technologies – especially renewables and energy efficiency."

"As economies rebound, we’ve seen a surge in electricity generation from fossil fuels. To shift to a sustainable trajectory, we need to massively step up investment in clean energy technologies – especially renewables and energy efficiency."

Our Energy Future: The Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions was established on 26 January 2021. The commission currently has 30 members and brings together government leaders, ministers and prominent thinkers.

The Commission's work comes at a critical moment in clean energy transitions around the world. As countries seek to advance their shifts to clean energy technologies, the success of these efforts will rest on enabling citizens to benefit from the opportunities and navigate the disruptions. This includes social and economic impacts on individuals and communities, as well as issues of affordability and fairness.

Commission members will explore these questions in depth, taking into account the need to see people as active participants in clean energy transitions – in collective decision-making and through individual actions and behaviours. Equity and inclusion issues will also be examined, including gender equality. The...

"There is no shortage of money worldwide, but it is not finding its way to where it is most needed. Governments need to give international public finance institutions a strong strategic mandate to finance clean energy transitions in the developing world."

Consistent, accurate and timely energy data and statistics are fundamental to developing effective and efficient national energy policies, as well as a key element in longer-term planning for investment in the energy sector. To this end, the IEA provides the world’s most authoritative and comprehensive source of global energy data.

The IEA collects, assesses and disseminates energy statistics on supply and demand, compiled into energy balances in addition to a number of other key energy-related indicators, including energy prices, public RD&D and measures of energy efficiency, with other measures in development.

This emphasis on sound data provides a unique platform for modelling work and tracking both short-term shifts and long-term trends in countries’ energy transitions, particularly for clean energy.

"There is no shortage of money worldwide, but it is not finding its way to where it is most needed. Governments need to give international public finance institutions a strong strategic mandate to finance clean energy transitions in the developing world."

India is the third largest energy-consuming country in the world. It has become one of the largest sources of energy demand growth globally and has made significant progress towards its universal electrification target for residential users, with 100 million people gaining access in 2018 alone. Per capita electricity consumption across the 28 Indian states and eight union territories is still around a third of the world average, and is expected to continue increasing despite the government’s intention to pursue strong energy efficiency standards, including LED lighting, efficient cooling and building standards. Total Indian electricity demand has begun to expand again following a significant decline in 2020 due to Covid-19. The pandemic has affected the financial viability of the electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs), which were already struggling with mounting debts and a liquidity crunch.

India faces three principal challenges: (1) how to expand...

"Hydropower is the forgotten giant of clean electricity, and it needs to be put squarely back on the energy and climate agenda if countries are serious about meeting their net zero goals."

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The growth of hydropower plants worldwide is set to slow significantly this decade, putting at risk the ambitions of countries across the globe to reach net-zero emissions while ensuring reliable and affordable energy supplies for their citizens, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency.

Hydropower today has a key role in the transition to clean energy not only through the massive quantities of low-carbon electricity it produces but also because of its unmatched capabilities for providing flexibility and storage. Many hydropower plants can ramp their electricity generation up and down very rapidly compared with other power plants such as nuclear, coal and natural gas. This makes sustainable hydropower an attractive foundation for...

"Not only is clean energy investment still far from what’s needed to put the world on a path to reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century, it’s not even enough to prevent global emissions from surging to a new record."