Everything Energy – Details, episodes & analysis

What does the world of energy look like today? In this episode of the IEA’s Everything Energy podcast, which is back from an extended break, we delve into this topic, guided by a brand-new IEA report.

 

The Global Energy Review 2025 is the first assessment of 2024 trends across the energy sector based on the latest data. It shows that growth in energy demand surged in 2024 to almost twice its recent average as the consumption of electricity rose around the world. 

 

Why is this so significant? What fuels and technologies helped meet the increase in demand? And what has been the effect on global emissions? Host Dan Hewitt and Laura Cozzi, the IEA’s Director of Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks, discuss these questions and more.

In this episode of the podcast - our first for 2021 - we welcome Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Director Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks and Lucila Arboleya, Energy Economics and Financial Analyst at the IEA, to discuss key challenges and opportunities facing gender diversity in the energy sector - widely regarded as one of the least gender diverse parts of the economy.

In Episode #3 of Everything Energy we talk to Brian Motherway, Head of Energy Efficiency at the IEA, about the importance of the integration of efficiency into government policy around the world and its vital link to transitions to cleaner energy. Brian also talks us through some of the challenges facing efficiency, and the role it can play in helping economies bounce back from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this episode we talk to Neil Atkinson, Head of Oil Industry and Markets Division at the IEA, as he reflects on the collapse of oil markets through March, April and May 2020, following the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the mobility of citizens worldwide. Neil also shares his insights on the change of mood in May, and the repercussions for oil markets as some countries begin to emerge from various states of lockdown. He also gives us a glimpse at the forecast for the rest of the year, and 2021.

The Covid-19 pandemic is first and foremost a health crisis. But by imposing lockdown measures and widely restricting travel and mobility, governments have also halted much of their own economic activities. The pandemic also represents the biggest shock to the global energy system in over 70 years, set to dwarf the impact of the 2008 financial crisis. In the first episode of Everything Energy we chat to Laura Cozzi, the IEA's Chief Energy Modeller, to unpack what this means for demand and consumption across a number of major fuels, as well as CO2 emissions for the rest of the year.

In this episode of the podcast we welcome Brian Motherway, Head of Energy Efficiency back to the studio to reflect on the worrying trend in efficiency gains this year, as a result of the economic impacts of the Covid-19 crisis. Brian takes us through the importance of efficiency in sustainable, resilient recovery plans and clean energy transitions, and also talks to us about the IEA's relatively new focus on behavioural changes and energy efficiency.

In this episode of the podcast, Timur Guel, Head of the Energy Technology Policy division at the IEA talks to us about the importance of innovation and technology in clean energy transitions, as well as the challenges we face in the innovation cycle, to meet the ambitious climate goals being set by governments and companies around the world.

In this episode of the podcast we invited Heymi Bahar, lead author of Renewables 2020 and Senior Renewable Energy Analyst to talk about some of the key findings from this report. Heymi takes us through the story of solar and its rise to the top of electricity generation, the spectacular growth expected for wind, as well as the factors making certain renewable technologies so resilient in the current context of Covid-19. The report is available in full on our website, and for the first time, Renewables 2020 includes a dynamic data dashboard enabling users to explore historical data and forecasts for all sectors and technologies. http://iea.li/renewables20

In a special episode of Everything Energy we bring you a conversation between IEA Executive Director, Dr Fatih Birol, and European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans, recorded as part of our high-level speaker series Big Ideas. They discuss the way forward for the European Green Deal, as well as the rapid acceleration of climate policies around the world, hydrogen and a little football.

It has been a tumultuous year for the global energy system. The Covid-19 crisis has caused more disruption than any other event in recent history, leaving scars that will last for years to come. But whether this upheaval ultimately helps or hinders efforts to accelerate clean energy transitions and reach international energy and climate goals will depend on how governments respond to today’s challenges. The World Energy Outlook 2020, the International Energy Agency’s flagship publication, focuses on the pivotal period of the next 10 years, exploring different pathways out of the crisis. Our guests in this episode of the podcast are lead co-authors of the publication, Tim Gould and Laura Cozzi. They share with us the key messages of this new analysis. To see the chart that Jad refers to towards the end of the episode, follow this link: https://twitter.com/IEABirol/status/1315865397594394624