Powering the energy transition: Our COP30 insights
Stay informed on the key trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the future of energy and climate policy.
Countdown to COP30
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Explore our latest insights and analysis related to COP30, covering key developments, policy impacts and industry responses to the global climate agenda. Stay informed on how governments, businesses and energy markets are adapting to new sustainability goals and climate commitments.
Global Energy Scenarios 2025 - Annual flagship report
Save the Date: 30 October | Global Energy Scenarios 2025 is launching soon. Register now to be the first to receive the executive summary on launch day. Our annual flagship report is back, delivering forward-looking insights on the energy system, technology, economics, and climate policy. Discover how disruptive technologies, shifting investment patterns, and evolving national policies are shaping future energy pathways and the outlook for key energy sources.
LatAm Energy Corner - Curtailment poses a new risk for renewables in Brazil
In this edition, our focus turns to Brazil, where curtailment in renewable energy has emerged as one of the most pressing challenges. We explore why this issue is occurring, how it impacts wind and solar projects and what solutions could shape the next phase of Brazil's power sector growth. Curtailment has increasingly come into the spotlight as renewable penetration rises. In Brazil, the problem does not stem from a lack of natural resources but from grid congestion and infrastructure bottlenecks. Transmission capacity has not kept pace with the rapid expansion of solar and wind projects, leading to significant amounts of power generation being curtailed. This impacts project economics and delays Brazil's ability to maximize its clean energy potential.
Rystad’s Take: In conversation with our CEO, September
This month, our CEO reflects on how shifting global alliances are reshaping energy markets and what China’s growing role in the green transition could mean for the balance of power. He also shares his perspective on artificial intelligence in the energy sector, highlighting both the opportunities for greater efficiency and the challenges that come with rapid adoption. And when asked about influential books, he points to a classic lesson on how industries adapt to disruption.
Smarter climate action: carbon markets bridge ambition and reality
Carbon markets have become increasingly important as a cost-effective pathway for companies and countries to reduce emissions in a world struggling to meet its climate goals. They can mobilize private capital, particularly in developing countries where clean technology financing remains scarce, and provide hard-to-abate sectors with access to solutions that would otherwise be out of reach. Climate finance pledges are materializing – the $100 billion goal was finally met and the Loss and Damage Fund launched, both in 2022 – but public funding alone remains too limited and slow. Moreover, around 1,400 of the world’s largest companies have set climate commitments with both interim and long-term targets. Near-term milestones are approaching, and direct cuts can be insufficient or costly, so more organizations are turning to carbon credits to help meet goals and stay on track towards net zero.
Low-carbon hydrogen faces headwinds amid project halts and cancellations
Most US biofuel production numbers are clearly on track to end the first quarter of this year in negative territory either on a quarter-over-quarter or year-over-year basis, Rystad Energy analysis suggests. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the updated statistics for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program on 20 March covering the supply, trade and price dynamics for February 2025. Similar to previous months, we still observe uncertainty around future biofuel policy starts having a tangible impact on the actual supply for nearly all bio products.
AI energy demands could bring benefits not just burdens
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) on the global stage has resulted in data centers putting immense strain on global power grids, a turnaround from their previous role as minor electricity consumers. As chatbots become a permanent fixture in work and daily life, demand is being propelled to record heights as each search consumes power. While US data centers consumed 50 terawatt-hours (TWh) of power a decade ago, that figure has risen to 140 TWh today, thereby accounting for 3.5% of the country’s total electricity consumption.
COP30: Economy for the Transition
As the world gathers in Belém for COP30, the spotlight turns to the Amazon and the urgent need for actionable climate progress. This year’s summit is a pivotal checkpoint for the global energy transition, with key themes including climate adaptation, forest preservation and the scaling of climate finance. For the energy sector, the outcomes of COP30 will shape investment priorities, emissions accountability and the evolving role of gas and renewables in a low-carbon future. At Rystad Energy, our independent data, forecasts and sector expertise equip stakeholders with the insights needed to navigate this shift, ensuring that decisions are grounded in fact, opportunity and long-term sustainability.
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