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  • Every year of delay in global efforts to mitigate climate change adds an extra USD 500 billion to the clean energy investment needed by 2030, according to WEO 2009

  • Transport accounts for about one quarter of global energy use and energy-related CO2 emissions. In absence of new policies, transport energy use and related CO2 emissions are projected to increase by nearly 50% by 2030 and by more than 80% by 2050. For more information see Transport, Energy and CO2: Moving Towards Sustainability.

  • Nearly 70% of electricity is generated from fossil fuels: coal (42% of generated power globally in 2007); gas (21%); hydro (16%); nuclear (14%); oil (6%); and non-hydro-renewables (2%). As a result, electricity accounts for 40% of global energy-related CO2 emissions; these emissions will grow by 58% globally by 2030 unless new policy measures are introduced. For more information, see the IEA publication, Sectoral Approaches in Electricity: Building Bridges to a Safe Climate.

  • Industry accounts for approximately one-third of global final energy use and almost 40% of total energy-related CO2 emissions. Over recent decades, industrial energy efficiency has improved and CO2 intensity declined in many sectors, but this progress has been offset by growing industrial production worldwide. Projections of future energy use and emissions show that without decisive action, these trends will continue. To learn more, see Energy Technology Transitions for Industry: Strategies for the Next Industrial Revolution.

  • Energy investment worldwide has plunged over the past year in the face of a tougher financing environment, weakening final demand for energy and lower cash flow. All these factors stem from the financial and economic crisis. Energy companies are drilling fewer oil and gas wells, and cutting back on spending on refineries, pipelines and power stations. Many ongoing projects have been slowed and a number of planned projects have been postponed or cancelled. Businesses and households are spending less on new, more efficient energy-using applicances, equipment and vehicles, with important knock-on effects for the efficiency of energy use in the long term. See World Energy Outlook 2009.

  • Although Chile has limited indigenous fossil energy resources, fossil fuels account for almost 80% of the country’s total primary energy supply. As a result, Chile imports close to 75% of its energy in the form of gas, oil and coal. Yet Chile’s geography has endowed it with significant renewable energy potential. The Chilean government recognises the significant long-term potential of renewable energy in Chile and has recently adopted a wide-ranging approach, which includes assessment studies, a law for the development of non-conventional renewable energy, specific financial support measures, and research and development activities. To learn more, see Chile Energy Policy Review 2009.

  • Around 8.2 gigatonnes of CO2 could be saved annually by 2030, if IEA efficiency recommendations to the G8 were implemented globally. See the 25 Efficiency Recommendations made to the G8.

  • Information and communication technologies and consumer electronics now account for 15% of global residential electricity consumption. The IEA estimates that energy use by these devices will double by 2022 and increase threefold by 2030. See Gadgets and Gigawatts

  • Electricity consumption from electronic devices such as laptops and mobile phones could be cut by more than half through the use of the best available technology (Source: Gadgets and Gigawatts)

  • The world’s car fleet is expected to triple by 2050 with 80% of this growth occurring in developing economies. See "50by50" report from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) for more details. See also the IEA press release.

  • Excluding traditional biomass use, the share of renewable energy in global primary energy demand is projected to climb from 7% in 2006 to 10% by 2030 in the World Energy Outlook Reference Scenario. World renewables-based electricity generation – mostly hydro and wind – is projected to rise from 18% in 2006 to 23% in 2030. According to the World Energy Outlook 2008.

  • In May 2008, the Co-ordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs of Indonesia advised that the top 40% of high income families benefit from 70% of energy subsidies while the bottom 40% of low income families benefit from only 15%. See Energy Policy Review of Indonesia.

  • In 2007, Russia was the largest single exporter of natural gas, accounting for 21.3% of global exports. See Key World Energy Statistics.

  • In 2005, world CO2 emissions from fuel combustion were 27.1 Gigatons and are projected to increase by almost 60% to 42 Gt in 2030 if policies don’t change.

  • Wind has been the fastest growing renewable electricity source worldwide, with an average annual growth rate of 24% over the period 1990-2005.
    See Renewables Information 2007


  • China and India will account for 45% of the increase in global primary energy demand by 2030, with both countries more than doubling their energy use over that period, according to the IEA World Energy Outlook 2007.


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