Browse by: "2017"

The future of coal – the world’s dominant fuel for more than a century – continues to be one of the most pressing questions in the energy scene. Coal is under pressure in many regions of the world for its contribution to greenhouse gases. It is being squeezed out in power generation by cheap and abundant natural gas and fast-growing renewables, whose costs are also plummeting.

At the same time, however, recent declines in coal usage have also been reversed this year by stronger consumption in coal’s three largest markets – China, India, and the United States. But, whereas this growth is expected to be temporary in China and United States, that is not the case for India. Despite progress in energy efficiency improvements and the deployment of renewables, increasing energy needs for its economic growth and development will push India to expand coal use.

The IEA Coal 2017 market and analysis report provides a comprehensive analysis of recent trends and forecasts through 2022 of coal demand, supply and trade at both the global and regional levels. The insights provided in this report help to explain the current developments in coal markets and provide a window into the fuel’s future over the next five years.

Les enseignements des sciences comportementales peuvent aider les décideurs à mieux comprendre les mécanismes comportementaux qui concourent aux problèmes d’environnement et leur permettre d’élaborer et de mettre en œuvre des réponses plus efficaces. Ce rapport passe en revue les applications récentes des enseignements des sciences comportementales qui visent à orienter les individus et les entreprises vers des décisions de consommation, d’investissement et de mise en conformité plus durables.

En s’appuyant sur les interventions mises en place par les ministères et organismes chargés des questions d’environnement et d’énergie et sur le travail des équipes intergouvernementales d’étude des enseignements des sciences comportementales, le rapport décrit comment les sciences comportementales ont été intégrées dans les processus d’élaboration des politiques. Différents domaines d’action sont abordés : consommation d’énergie, d’eau et de produits alimentaires, choix du mode de transport et du véhicule, gestion des déchets et efficacité d’utilisation des ressources, respect de la réglementation environnementale et participation à des programmes volontaires. Le rapport met en lumière ce qui a marché – ou pas – dans les pratiques mises en œuvre dans les pays de l’OCDE et ailleurs.

Denmark has a long tradition of setting ambitious national energy targets. In 2030, renewables should cover at least half of the country’s total energy consumption. By 2050, Denmark aims to be a low-carbon society independent of fossil fuels. The country is moving convincingly to meet these world-leading targets.

The International Energy Agency’s latest review of Denmark’s energy policies focuses on two interrelated issues: how to integrate increasing volumes of variable renewable energy in the power system beyond its current share of 45%, and how to decarbonise the heating sector.

Electricity generation in Denmark has changed fundamentally over the past two decades. Coal generation has been vastly eroded, and the bulk of power generation now comes from wind and bioenergy. Supported by a flexible domestic power system and a high level of interconnection, Denmark is now widely recognised as a global leader in integrating variable renewable energy while at the same time maintaining a highly reliable and secure electrical-power grid.

The heating sector is also critical for Denmark’s low-carbon ambitions. Denmark’s large-scale use of combined heat and power plants with heat storage capacity, and the increasing deployment of wind power offer great potential for efficient integration of heat and electricity systems. However, policies and regulations need to be aligned to realise that potential. Finding the right levels of energy taxation is particularly important.

Denmark has successfully decoupled its economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions, thanks to a combination of energy efficiency improvements, and fuel switching to renewables. As in all countries, more needs to be done to limit emissions from transport.

Bioenergy is the main source of renewable energy today. IEA modelling also indicates that modern bioenergy is an essential component of the future low carbon global energy system if global climate change commitments are to be met, playing a particularly important role in helping to decarbonise sectors such as aviation, shipping and long haul road transport.

However, the current rate of bioenergy deployment is well below the levels required in low carbon scenarios. Accelerated deployment is urgently needed to ramp up the contribution of sustainable bioenergy across all sectors, notably in the transport sector where consumption is required to triple by 2030.  But bioenergy is a complex and sometimes controversial topic. There is an increasing understanding that only bioenergy that is supplied and used in a sustainable manner has a place in a low carbon energy future. 

This Technology Roadmap re-examines the role of bioenergy in light of changes to the energy landscape over the past five years as well as recent experience in bioenergy policy, market development and regulation. It identifies the technical, policy and financial barriers to deployment, and suggests a range of solutions to overcome them.

La Svizzera ha fatto dei passi avanti verso il miglioramento delle performance ambientali dei settori agricolo, energetico e dei trasporti. Il Paese si è affermato tra i migliori Paesi dell’OCSE in termini d’intensità delle emissioni di gas serra e può essere lodato per il suo approccio innovativo nella rivitalizzazione della rete idrografica. Tuttavia, si possono constatare anche ambiti problematici, quali le abitudini di consumo non sostenibili, la produzione di un elevato volume di rifiuti urbani e le alte percentuali di specie minacciate. Quale importante piazza finanziaria, la Svizzera gioca un ruolo fondamentale nella promozione della finanza verde.

Questo è il terzo rapporto sulle performance ambientali della Svizzera. Valuta i progressi compiuti verso uno sviluppo sostenibile e una crescita verde, con particolare riferimento alla gestione delle acque come pure alla conservazione e all’uso sostenibile della biodiversità.

Die Schweiz hat Schritte unternommen, um ihre Umweltleistungen im Landwirtschafts-, Energieund Verkehrsbereich zu verbessern. In Bezug auf die Treibhausgasemissionen zählt sie zu den Spitzenreitern unter den OECD-Ländern und sie verdient Anerkennung für ihren innovativen Ansatz zur Revitalisierung ihrer Fliessgewässer. Problematisch sind hingegen nicht nachhaltige Konsummuster und das hohe Siedlungsabfallaufkommen ebenso wie die hohen Anteile von gefährdeten Arten. Als wichtiges Finanzzentrum kommt der Schweiz zudem eine Schlüsselrolle in der Förderung von grünen Investitionen zu. Bei diesem Bericht handelt es sich um den dritten OECD-Prüfbericht für die Schweiz.

Darin werden die Fortschritte in Bezug auf nachhaltige Entwicklung und umweltverträgliches Wachstum bewertet, wobei die Schwerpunkte auf der Wasserbewirtschaftung, der Erhaltung der Artenvielfalt und der nachhaltigen Nutzung von Ökosystemen liegen.

La Suisse a travaillé à l'amélioration de la performance environnementale de l'agriculture, de l'énergie et des transports. Le pays a l'une des plus basses intensités en gaz à effet de serre de l'OCDE, et s'est montré très innovant dans la réhabilitation de ses rivières. Cependant, les pratiques de consommation peu durables de la population et les quantités de déchets urbains qui en découlent, ainsi que le nombre d'espèces menacées , sont préoccupants. En tant que pôle financier, la Suisse a un rôle clé à jouer dans la promotion de la finance verte.

Ce rapport est le troisième examen environnemental de la Suisse. Il évalue ses progrès en matière de développement durable et de croissance verte, avec des chapitres détaillés sur le traitement des eaux  et sur la conservation et l'utilisation durable de la biodiversité.

Switzerland has taken steps to improve the environmental performance of its agricultural, energy and transport sectors. The country is a top OECD performer in terms of greenhouse gas emissions intensity and it should be commended for its innovative approach towards rehabilitation of its river system. Yet unsustainable consumption patterns and high levels of municipal waste generation, as well as high percentages of threatened species, are areas of concern. As a major financial centre, Switzerland has a key role to play in promoting green finance.

This is the third Environmental Performance Review of Switzerland. It evaluates progress towards sustainable development and green growth, with special features on: water management and biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.

The global energy scene is in a state of flux. Large-scale shifts include: the rapid deployment and steep declines in the costs of major renewable energy technologies; the growing importance of electricity in energy use across the globe; profound changes in China’s economy and energy policy, moving consumption away from coal; and the continued surge in shale gas and tight oil production in the United States.

These changes provide the backdrop for the World Energy Outlook-2017, which includes a full update of energy demand and supply projections to 2040 based on different scenarios. The projections are accompanied by detailed analyses of their impact on energy industries and investment, as well as implications for energy security and the environment.

The report this year includes a focus on China, which examines how China’s choices could reshape the global outlook for all fuels and technologies. A second focus, on natural gas, explores how the rise of shale gas and LNG are changing the global gas market as well as the opportunities and risks for gas in the transition to a cleaner energy system.

Finally, the WEO-2017 introduces a major new scenario – the Sustainable Development Scenario – that outlines an integrated approach to achieving internationally agreed objectives on climate change, air quality and universal access to modern energy.

Цель настоящего доклада заключается в освещении того, каким образом страны ВЕКЦА и их партнеры по сотрудничеству в целях развития ведут совместную работу по финансированию усилий, направленных на смягчение последствий изменения климата и адаптацию к изменению климата, с использованием базы данных Комитета ОЭСР по помощи в целях развития  для анализа потоков климатического финансирования в разбивке по секторам, поставщикам финансирования, финансовым инструментам, каналам и т.д. В 2013 и 2014 годах одиннадцати странам ВЕКЦА был выделен значительный объем финансирования из международных институциональных источников (3,3 миллиарда долларов США в год), однако масштабы этого финансирования значительно варьируются от страны к стране и не являются достаточными для достижения или превышения плановых показателей в области климата, которые были заявлены ими в предполагаемых определяемых на национальном уровне вкладах (ПОНУВ), представленных к 21-й Конференции сторон РКИК ООН.

Хотя странами ВЕКЦА уже разработан целый ряд стратегий, связанных с климатом, вопрос о том, насколько эффективно осуществляются эти стратегии и в какой степени они способствуют дальнейшей мобилизации климатического финансирования, остается открытым. В связи с этим настоящий документ предлагает вопросы, отвечая на которые правительства стран ВЕКЦА смогут самостоятельно оценить свою готовность к использованию возможностей доступа к увеличивающимся объемам климатического финансирования из государственных, частных, международных и внутренних источников.

Digital technologies are everywhere, affecting the way we live, work, travel, and play. Digitalization is helping improve the safety, productivity, accessibility, and sustainability of energy systems around the world. But it is also raising new security and privacy risks, while disrupting markets, businesses, and workers.

Digitalization & Energy is the International Energy Agency’s first comprehensive effort to depict how digitalization could transform the world’s energy systems. The report examines the impact of digital technologies on energy demand sectors, looks at how energy suppliers can use digital tools to improve operations, and explores the transformational potential of digitalization to help create a highly interconnected energy system.

This report seeks to provide greater clarity to decision makers in government and industry on what digitalization means for energy, shining a light on its enormous potential and most pressing challenges. It also lays out no-regret recommendations to help steer the world towards a more secure, sustainable, and smarter energy future.

Greece is currently implementing comprehensive energy sector reforms towards creating competitive energy markets. The reforms will reveal opportunities for investors and for transformation of the energy system, thereby providing sustainable outcomes for the environment and for Greek society. This International Energy Agency review highlights the areas that are critical to the success of Greece’s energy policy agenda.

Greece can use the economic recovery as an opportunity to get ahead with longer-term emissions reduction outcomes by pursuing initiatives that support sustainable increases in efficiency and by increasing the share of natural gas and renewable energy in the energy mix. A key part of this process will be to develop a national energy and climate plan for 2030 and beyond, as well as to incorporate climate objectives into integrated energy planning.

The country has seen an impressive increase in the share of renewables in electricity generation, even over-achieving the targets set for solar photovoltaics. Enhanced exploitation of its renewable energy potential could result in a more balanced energy mix and contribute to increasing energy security.

Greece should continue pursuing the implementation of ambitious energy efficiency policies, drawing on the evaluation of outcomes from past and current measures and on the lessons learned by other countries. This review also provides recommendations for further policy improvements that are intended to help guide the country towards a more secure and sustainable energy future.

In recognition of the fundamental importance of understanding energy related environmental issues, the IEA’s CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion provides a full analysis of emissions stemming from energy use. This annual publication has become an essential tool for analysts and policy makers in many international fora such as the Conference of the Parties, which will be meeting in Bonn, Germany, from 7 to 16 November 2017.

The data in this book are designed to assist in understanding the evolution of the emissions of CO2 from 1971 to 2015 for 150 countries and regions by sector and by fuel. Emissions were calculated using IEA energy databases and the default methods and emission factors from the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.

The ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries are among the most dynamic parts of the global energy system and a rising force in international energy affairs. Thanks to its growing partnership with Southeast Asia, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has conducted regular in-depth studies of the energy challenges facing this region. This new report, which was prepared as part of the IEA’s flagship World Energy Outlook series, provides insights for policy makers, industry and other energy stakeholders to help address the energy sector challenges facing Southeast Asia today.

The report highlights:

• The state of play across the Southeast Asia’s energy sector, based on the latest data and announcements.
• How today’s policies shape this region’s energy demand and supply outlook to 2040, and the implications for energy security, the environment and development.
• The opportunities that broader changes in global markets and low-carbon technologies open up for Southeast Asia.
• The investment required to improve efficiency and expand energy supply infrastructure, especially in the electricity sector.
• The mix of fuels and technologies that can help Southeast Asia achieve universal electricity access.
• An alternative pathway, the Sustainable Development Scenario, to meet energy security and environmental goals.

Energy is essential for humanity to develop and thrive. In 2015, the new Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by 193 countries, included for the first time a target to ensure affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, underscoring a new level of political agreement on the importance of access to modern energy services. At the same time, the declining cost of decentralised renewables, increased access to affordable energyefficient appliances and the use of mobile platforms are changing the way we think about providing energy access. It is against this backdrop that the IEA produced this Special Report, part of its flagship World Energy Outlook (WEO) series.

This report:

• Expands and updates the WEO’s country-by-country electricity and clean cooking access database, and assesses the status for all developing countries, reviewing recent trends and policy efforts up to 2016.
• Presents a global and regional electricity and clean cooking access outlook to 2030, with a dedicated chapter on sub-Saharan Africa.
• Provides a pathway for achieving access to modern energy for all by 2030, identifying policy priorities, detailing investment needs, and the role that decentralised and on-grid solutions may play.
• Analyses how energy development can unleash economic growth in sectors such as agriculture, and explores how energy access intersects with other issues such as gender, health and climate change.

Natural gas markets are changing at a rapid pace, moving from regional integration to a more globalised and interdependent market. This transformation is creating new security-related concerns, which remain alive despite the current state of oversupply in the gas market.

The International Energy Agency’s second annual Global Gas Security Review offers an extensive assessment of recent gas balancing issues and related policy developments linked to security of supply, as well as lessons learned from recent events.

This year’s edition also updates the liquefied natural gas (LNG) flexibility metrics that were developed in last year’s report. Our latest data shows a continuing improvement in supply and contractual flexibility, which are expected to develop in the near future, along with the growing diversification of market participants and a lasting situation of oversupply.

To improve the risk assessment of importing countries, the report introduces a new typology of LNG buyers as a tool to measure market exposure, and related security of supply issues per type of buyer, as well as provides a measure of future LNG market evolution.