New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
Deep divisions detected in the global energy transition
10/11/2026
10 min read
Feature
Recognising that the energy transition is not limited to addressing climate change, the Energy Institute’s Country Transition Tracker uses country-level data contained in the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy to build a picture of energy-specific transition progress across three broad fronts: greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, efficiency and universal access to energy. It is a deeply fragmented picture, write Ian Jones and Energy Institute Energy Analyst Lorraine Wong.
Key takeaways
- Between 2017 and 2025, GHG emissions from energy increased on average by nearly 1% each year. The largest reductions in emissions over this period were achieved by Germany and Japan (222 and 216mn t respectively).
- Between 2017 and 2025, global consumption of fossil fuels grew by 8% (40EJ). The largest increase was in demand for natural gas, which increased by nearly 15% (19EJ).
- Whilst China ranks the highest in terms of actual generation from low-carbon sources, they contribute to in total around 41% of its total generation, placing it 14th in the global ranking for power sector decarbonisation.
- More than four-fifths (83%) of nations featured in the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy have decreased their economy-wide energy intensity since 2017.
The Country Transition Tracker provides users with a regular means to draw their own conclusions about whether or not the world is on track to meet 2050 decarbonisation targets. As such, it measures progress made since 2017, the first full year after formal ratification of the Paris Agreement, the driver for near-universal climate action.
To do that, the Country Transition Tracker assesses around 80 of the world's largest energy-consuming countries that are itemised in the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy. Together they represent over 96% of global energy consumption and 95% of global GHG emissions. It assesses the performance of each country on eight metrics, each of which is introduced below. For more information, visit the the website or download the data.
Energy-related GHG emissions
Between 2017 and 2025, GHG emissions from energy increased on average by nearly 1% each year. During this period, global energy markets were disrupted by both the COVID-19 pandemic and conflict in Ukraine (the latter significantly impacting its own energy demand). The largest reductions in emissions over this period were achieved by Germany and Japan (222 and 216mn t respectively).