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The International Energy Agency (IEA) member governments have updated their set of principles, known as the IEA Shared Goals, which focus on ensuring both energy security and the advancement of clean energy transitions. These principles, first agreed upon in 1993, have been revised during the Agency’s 50th anniversary year, incorporating insights from the 2022 and 2024 IEA Ministerial Meetings. The updated goals reflect the consensus of IEA members and serve as guidelines for the IEA Secretariat to coordinate and collaborate with governments, decision-makers, and industry leaders worldwide.
The revised IEA Shared Goals address a broad range of key areas, including energy security beyond oil, clean energy technology supply chains, energy efficiency, and international cooperation. They emphasize the importance of energy systems that are resilient and flexible enough to respond to emergencies and ensure access to affordable, clean energy. The IEA members are committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and supporting the global fight against climate change.
One of the primary goals is advancing energy transitions, which play a critical role in addressing climate change and promoting economic prosperity. The IEA aims to facilitate practical and concrete transitions to clean energy systems, including a gradual shift away from fossil fuels, in a way that is just and equitable. This transformation is vital for limiting global temperature increases and mitigating climate change impacts. In parallel, ensuring energy security remains a top priority, with IEA members working together to safeguard energy sources and prevent energy access from being used as a tool for economic coercion.
Another key goal is promoting clean energy and secure supply chains. The IEA stresses the importance of diversifying clean energy sources to strengthen energy security and accelerate transitions. This involves increasing clean energy technology manufacturing and ensuring a sustainable and responsible supply of critical minerals. Additionally, increasing energy efficiency is seen as a crucial part of the transition, with energy efficiency recognized as the “first fuel” in achieving net-zero goals.
The IEA also emphasizes the need for open and transparent energy markets, where prices are undistorted and reflect the environmental costs of energy production. Efficient markets will contribute to both energy security and the deployment of clean energy technologies. The goals also highlight the importance of advancing research, development, and deployment of new and improved energy technologies through international collaboration, including partnerships with the private sector.
A central aspect of the IEA’s approach is ensuring that clean energy transitions are people-centered. This means prioritizing economic opportunities, decent jobs, gender equality, and social development, particularly for vulnerable communities. The transition is seen as an opportunity to improve quality of life globally by increasing energy access and addressing energy poverty.
Finally, the IEA emphasizes the need for accurate and granular energy data and statistics to support better policymaking and ensure that global energy systems are more secure, sustainable, and inclusive. These shared goals reflect the IEA’s commitment to achieving energy security and facilitating the clean energy transition, while promoting values like democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. |
