
Energy investment
Authoritative, reliable and global data and analysis for decision-makers
The future global energy system – its security, sustainability, affordability and accessibility – relies on the investment decisions taken today and in the years to come. This page brings together the IEA’s work on energy investment, which helps inform decision making by governments, the energy industry and financial institutions to set policy frameworks, implement business strategies, finance new projects, and develop new technologies.
Introduction
Investment made today in energy infrastructure will leave its mark for decades to come. For this reason, the energy sector presents exceptional opportunities, but also challenges for investors and governments who must deliver capital at the right time and in the right place, while also considering long time horizons.
Complex policy and regulatory, market and financial factors have a big impact on the perceived risks, returns and cost of capital that ultimately shape investors’ appetite for financing energy investments. IEA investment data and analysis provide critical understanding on how these factors are impacting where finance is flowing, and where future investment needs to go in order to be aligned with energy security and sustainability goals.
Tracking investment
The IEA's World Energy Investment provides a wealth of data and analysis for decision making by governments, the energy industry and financial institutions to set policy frameworks, implement business strategies, finance new projects and develop new technologies. It highlights the ways in which investment decisions taken today are determining how energy supply and demand will unfold tomorrow.
Fossil-fuel power Nuclear Renewable power Networks Battery storage Upstream Downstream, midstream & refining Buildings Transport Industry Coal supply Renewables for transport and heat Power sector 127 47 304 293 4 Oil & gas supply 477 249 Energy efficiency 139 63 38 Coal supply 80 Renewables for transport and heat 25
{"chart":{"type":"column"},"plotOptions":{"column":{"stacking":"normal","borderWidth":0,"dataLabels":{"enabled":true,"format":"{series.name}","style":{"fontSize":"10px"}}},"line":{"marker":{"enabled":false},"lineWidth":0}},"legend":{"enabled":false},"title":{"text":"Global energy investment in 2018 and change compared to 2017"},"tooltip":{"valueSuffix":" billion","valuePrefix":"$"},"yAxis":[{"reversedStacks":false,"title":{"text":"USD (2018) billion"},"min":0,"max":1000,"tickInterval":200,"alignTicks":false},{"opposite":true,"min":0,"max":1,"tickInterval":0.2,"labels":{"enabled":false},"title":{"text":""},"lineWidth":0,"alignTicks":false}],"series":[{"colorIndex":2,"dataLabels":{"style":{"width":"100px","color":"#575757"}}},{"colorIndex":3,"tooltip":{"valueSuffix":" billion","valuePrefix":"$"}},{"colorIndex":0,"dataLabels":{"style":{"color":"#575757"}}},{"color":"#ccc"},{"colorIndex":7,"dataLabels":{"y":-7,"style":{"color":"#575757"}}},{"colorIndex":4,"tooltip":{"valueSuffix":" billion","valuePrefix":"$"}},{"colorIndex":5,"dataLabels":{"allowOverlap":true,"style":{"width":"100px"}}},{"colorIndex":7,"tooltip":{"valueSuffix":" billion","valuePrefix":"$"}},{"colorIndex":6},{"colorIndex":8,"dataLabels":{"allowOverlap":true}},{"color":"#ccc","dataLabels":{"enabled":false}},{"colorIndex":0,"dataLabels":{"enabled":false}},{"yAxis":1,"enableMouseTracking":false,"dataLabels":{"enabled":true,"format":"{point.label}","style":{"fontSize":"12px"}},"data":[{"y":0.9,"label":"-1%"},{"y":0.8,"label":"+1%"},{"y":0.3,"label":"stable"},{"y":0.1,"label":"+2%"},{"y":0.05,"label":"-1%"}],"type":"line","className":"noline","marker":{"enabled":false}}]}
Policy engagement & advice
In addition to tracking investments, the IEA’s work on investment and financing covers a wide range of topics, programmes and initiatives including:
- The IEA World Energy Investment Roundtable (2018)
- IEA’s Clean Energy Transitions Programme– recent milestones include:
- The first-ever ASEAN Clean Energy Investment and Financing Training Programme (2018) and
- Work on clean energy investment trends in India (2018, 2019)
- The Clean Energy Ministerial – IEA coordinates the Clean Energy Ministerial Investment and Finance Initiative
- Sectoral work on financing clean energy – recent milestones include the first meeting of the Efficient World Financing Forum (2019)