29 July 2010
The IEA's reality check on green energy
A green-energy revolution is beginning, but the world must invest in low-carbon technologies on a much bigger scale to avoid climate change, says the IEA. Tom Nicholls reports
THE GULF of Mexico oil spill could prove a tipping point in the world's energy-consumption habits, says the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). "It is a tragic reminder that our current path is not sustainable," Nobuo Tanaka said last month. "It is probably a very important moment for us to look at alternative [energy] sources." Tanaka was speaking at the launch of the 2010 edition of the IEA's biannual Energy Technology Perspectives publication, which sets out the agency's vision for how energy should be supplied – in view of the risks to climate change of carbon-intensive energy use. Since the last edition, in 2008, the agency has detected embryonic signs of a shi
Also in this section
9 January 2026
A shift in perspective is needed on the carbon challenge, the success of which will determine the speed and extent of emissions cuts and how industries adapt to the new environment
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
23 December 2025
Legislative reform in Germany sets the stage for commercial carbon capture and transport at a national level, while the UK has already seen financial close on major CCS clusters
15 December 2025
Net zero is not the problem for the UK’s power system. The real issue is with an outdated market design in desperate need of modernisation
