China faces the dynamic of rapid economic development that drives ever increasing energy use, primarily electricity, and consequently increasing CO2 emissions. It has taken a pledge to curb its emissions intensity, and is exploring various policy approaches to fulfil that aim, including...

Transport is the sector with the highest final energy consumption and, without any significant policy changes, is forecast to remain so. In 2008, the IEA published 25 energy efficiency recommendations, among which four are for the transport sector. The recommendations focus on road transport and...

Taxes, loans and grants, trading schemes and white certificates, public procurement and investment in R&D or infrastructure: known collectively as “economic instruments”, these tools can be powerful means of mobilising the finances needed to achieve policy goals by implementing energy...

Electric vehicles (EVs) represent both a new demand for electricity and a possible storage medium that could supply power to utilities. The "load shifting" and “vehicle-to-grid” concepts could help cut electricity demand during peak periods and prove especially helpful in smoothing...

Global biofuel production has been increasing rapidly over the last decade, but the expanding biofuel industry has recently raised important concerns. In particular, the sustainability of many first-generation biofuels – which are produced primarily from food crops such as grains, sugar cane...

Brazil, China, India and South Africa have each worked to improve access to electricity services. While many of the challenges faced by these countries are similar, the means of addressing them varied in their application and effectiveness. This report analyses the four country profiles,...

This study provides a holistic examination of pricing and investment dynamics in India’s downstream petroleum sector. It analyses the current pricing practices, highlights the tremendous fiscal cost of current pricing and regulatory arrangements, and examines the sectoral investment dynamics....

Since early 2007 almost all OECD and many non-OECD governments have announced policies aimed at phasing-out incandescent lighting within their jurisdictions. This study considers the implications of these policy developments in terms of demand for regulatory compliant lamps and the capacity and...

Power generation from fossil fuel is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, representing 41% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Combined with the fact that there are a number of low-carbon technologies available for generating electricity, the sector is therefore a key...

Scaling-up investment in energy efficiency is essential to achieving a sustainable energy future. Despite energy efficiency’s recognised advantages as a bankable investment with immense climate change mitigation benefits, most of the energy efficiency potential remains untapped and the...