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Reducing global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to net zero by 2050 is necessary to limit the long‐term increase in average global temperatures to 1.5 °C. Today, coal-fired power generation is the largest single source of CO2 emissions. Therefore, tackling emissions from this sector is critical to achieving our goal. National governments, subnational jurisdictions, coalitions and many large corporations have announced coal phase-out pledges and net zero targets. Ahead of COP 26 in November 2021, Phasing Out Unabated Coal: Current Status and Three Case Studies gathers all known national commitments to eventually stop using unabated coal-fired power generation announced to date and assesses their impact in terms of reducing emissions. In addition, the report analyses three jurisdictions in detail to extract recommendation. First, an early example of coal phase-out commitment and execution from the Canadian province of Ontario. Second, the case of the United Kingdom, where the industrial revolution started but which was one of the first countries to decide to phase out coal. Finally, Germany, where phasing out is particularly complex because it is the largest coal-fired power generator among those committing to a phase-out and has thousands of jobs that rely on lignite mining. This paper acknowledges that each country must tailor its approach based on its own specific circumstances, but that nonetheless there are instructive experiences from other jurisdictions undertaking similar measures.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) regularly conducts in-depth peer reviews of the energy policies of its member countries. This process supports energy policy development and encourages the exchange of international best practices and experiences to help drive secure and affordable clean energy transitions.Poland’s energy policy aims to decarbonise its energy supply through expanding renewable energy, introducing nuclear energy, powering transportation through electricity, and increasing energy efficiency across the economy. A central aspect of Poland’s energy policy is reducing the reliance on coal, especially for electricity generation and building heating. There is a strong policy focus on energy security and ensuring a just transition that maintains affordable access to energy and protects vulnerable consumers, while promoting economic growth.Poland has made notable progress on energy transition. It has one of the fastest growing markets for distributed solar PV in Europe, and it has developed a strong programme to drive offshore wind deployment. Poland has also taken important steps to improve energy security, like diversifying energy imports away from Russia. However, the country’s energy mix is still dominated by fossil fuels. All sectors have considerable work ahead to meet targets for increasing the share of renewables, lowering energy demand and reducing emissions.In this report, the IEA provides a range of energy policy recommendations to help Poland smoothly manage the transition to an efficient and flexible low-carbon energy system.

This report presents a comprehensive assessment of the policy instruments adopted by the Netherlands to reach carbon neutrality in its manufacturing sector by 2050. The analysis illustrates the strength of combining a strong commitment to raising carbon prices with ambitious technology support, uncovers the pervasiveness of competitiveness provisions, and highlights the trade-off between short-term emissions cuts and longer-term technology shift. The Netherlands’ carbon levy sets an ambitious price trajectory to 2030, but is tempered by extensive preferential treatment to energy-intensive users, yielding a highly unequal carbon price across firms and sectors. The country’s technology support focuses on the cost-effective deployment of low-carbon options, which ensures least-cost decarbonisation in the short run but favours relatively mature technologies. The report offers recommendations for policy adjustments to reach the country’s carbon neutrality objective, including the gradual removal of exemptions, enhanced support for emerging technologies and greater visibility over future infrastructure plans.

The International Energy Agency prepared this report, within the framework of a Global Environment Facility (GEF) programme aimed at supporting low- and middle-income economies in their transition to E-mobility. It is the first deliverable of Working Group Four on Charging, Grid Integration, Renewable Power Supply and Battery Re-use, Recycling and Safe Disposal. Its objective is to provide policy makers with a comprehensive overview of the ecosystem of public charging infrastructure (defined as infrastructure that is publicly accessible), as well as key recommendations for its efficient deployment. Although it focuses on charging systems for light-duty vehicles, the report also discusses implications for two- and three-wheelers, as well as heavy-duty vehicles. The findings summarised here are informed by the many contributions and insights provided by international stakeholders. The IEA’s analysis begins with a definition of charging infrastructure and describes the different business models associated with it. We present a number of policy examples and conclude with five key recommendations for ensuring the efficient roll-out of public charging infrastructure.

This publication provides governments with guidance on the policy options that are available to make the most of private investment opportunities in clean energy infrastructure, drawing on the expertise of climate and investment communities among others. It identifies key issues for policy makers to consider, including in investment policy, investment promotion and facilitation, competition policy, financial markets, and public governance. It also addresses cross-cutting issues, including regional co-operation and international trade for investment in clean energy infrastructure.

This Policy Guidance is a product of the Development Assistance Committee’s multi-year programme of work on Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) in oil commodity trading. It proposes a set of relevant, feasible actions for providers of official development assistance (ODA) to respond to IFFs in oil commodity trading. The aim is to enhance the mobilisation of domestic resources for the benefit of populations living in oil-producing developing countries, and enable integrity in their energy transition, particularly in carbon trade.

This report compiles and shares some of the lessons learnt from implementing post-Fukushima actions related to human and organisational factors (HOF), including at nuclear facility operating companies, technical support organisations, research institutions, and regulatory authorities. It summarises a two-phase information-gathering exercise, overseen by the NEA Working Group on Human and Organisational Factors, about the requirements and guidelines that countries and nuclear licensees have adopted since the accident. The report discusses the central role of human and organisational performance in mitigating extreme external events and the management of severe accidents. It addresses the importance of validating the ability to perform these actions, and the challenges associated with performing such validations with fidelity to the conditions likely to be present during such events. The report concludes by providing four key recommendations that seek to promote greater sharing of information and the identification of best practices.

Accelerating the transition to net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is urgently required to contain the risks of climate change. As countries seek to reduce GHG emissions, they can employ or reform a wide range of policy instruments. This report tracks how explicit carbon prices, energy taxes and subsidies have evolved between 2018 and 2021. This is an important subset of the policy instruments available to governments. All instruments considered in this report either directly change the cost of emitting GHG or change electricity prices. Reforming these instruments could help to meet climate targets, lead to cleaner air and water, and improve public finances. The report covers 71 countries, which together account for approximately 80% of global GHG emissions and energy use. Explicit carbon prices, as well as energy taxes and subsidies are detailed by country, sector, product and instrument. The use of a common methodology ensures comparability across countries. Summary indicators facilitate cross-country comparisons and allow policy makers and the public to keep track of progress made and identify opportunities for reform.

Located in the Caribbean Sea, Guadeloupe is a French Overseas Department and a European Outermost Region in search of a more sustainable economic development pathway. In support of that endeavour, this Production Transformation Policy Review (PTPR) Spotlight looks at the region's opportunities and challenges, identifying priority actions in several areas, including the bio- and circular economy, creative sectors and renewable energies. The Spotlight enriches our understanding of the diversity of development pathways, including those of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It is the result of an extensive peer-review process involving public and private stakeholders from Colombia, Caribbean countries and other EU outermost regions.

This is the fifth study in a series on the future costs of generating electricity. It reviews cost estimates for power plants using nuclear, coal, gas and renewable energy sources. Experts from fourteen OECD countries and five non-OECD countries provided estimated costs for investment, for operations and maintenance, and for fuel for more than 70 power plants. A uniform, consistent method of analysis produces comparable, levelised costs of electricity (cents/kWh). The study also analyses the effects on generation costs of variations in economic lifetime, plant load, and fossil fuel price escalation. An authoritative reference in the field, this publication will be especially useful to electricity system analysts and experts in electric power economics.

This sixth study in a series on projected costs of generating electricity presents and analyses cost estimates for some 130 power and co-generation (heat and power) plants using coal, gas, nuclear and renewable energy sources. Experts from 19 OECD member countries, 2 international organisations and 3 non-member countries contributed to the study.
The levelised lifetime costs presented and analysed were calculated with input data from participating experts and commonly agreed generic assumptions, using a uniform methodology. Key issues related to generation costs are addressed in the report, including methodologies to incorporate risk in cost assessments, impact of carbon emission trading and integration of wind power into electricity grids.
A reference in the field, this publication will be of interest to energy policy makers, electricity system analysts and energy economists.

This joint IEA/NEA report on electricity generating costs presents the latest data available for a wide variety of fuels and technologies, including coal and gas (with and without carbon capture), nuclear, hydro, onshore and offshore wind, biomass, solar, wave and tidal as well as combined heat and power (CHP).  It provides levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) per MWh for almost 200 plants, based on data covering 21 countries (including four major non-OECD countries), and several industrial companies and organisations.  For the first time, the report contains an extensive sensitivity analysis of the impact of variations in key parameters such as discount rates, fuel prices and carbon costs on LCOE.  Additional issues affecting power generation choices are also examined.

This joint report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is the eighth in a series of studies on electricity generating costs. As policy makers work to ensure that the power supply is reliable, secure and affordable, while making it increasingly clean and sustainable in the context of the debate on climate change, it is becoming more crucial that they understand what determines the relative cost of electricity generation using fossil fuel, nuclear or renewable sources of energy. A wide range of fuels and technologies are presented in the report, including natural gas, coal, nuclear, hydro, solar, onshore and offshore wind, biomass and biogas, geothermal, and combined heat and power, drawing on a database from surveys of investment and operating costs that include a larger number of countries than previous editions.
 
The analysis of more than 180 plants, based on data covering 22 countries, reveals several key trends, pointing, for example, to a significant decline in recent years in the cost of renewable generation. The report also reveals that nuclear energy costs remain in line with the cost of other baseload technologies, particularly in markets that value decarbonisation. Overall, cost drivers of the different generating technologies remain both market-specific and technology-specific.
 
Readers will find a wealth of details and analysis, supported by over 200 figures and tables, underlining this report’s value as a tool for decision makers and researchers concerned with energy policies, climate change and the evolution of power sectors around the world.
 

Existing buildings are responsible for over 40% of the world’s total primary energy consumption. An impressive amount of energy could be saved simply by applying energy-efficient technologies. Yet, various market barriers inhibit energy efficiency improvements in existing buildings and result in energy savings that are significantly lower than potentials.  This publication provides illustrations of policies and measures implemented in five IEA member countries and the European Union. Each case includes relevant background and contextual information, as well as a detailed evaluation of each policy according to five pre-defined criteria: relevance, effectiveness, flexibility, clarity and sustainability.