20 November 2014: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has proposed a list of five actions and implementation options for decarbonizing the energy sector. The proposal, which offers concrete recommendations for a 2015 climate agreement, appears in a document titled, ‘The Way Forward: Five Key Actions to Achieve a Low-Carbon Energy Sector.’

IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven, who will be presenting the actions during the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 20) to the UNFCCC in December 2014, in Lima, Peru, noted that “energy accounts for two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions,” making it essential “to bring energy-sector realities front and center in the climate discussions.”

The five actions, designed both for the short- and long-term, are: seizing immediate benefits by bending the global emissions curve before 2020; focusing on electricity decarbonization; reshaping investing and accelerating innovation in low-carbon technologies; mobilizing non-climate goals to to promote energy decarbonization; and strengthening the resilience of the energy sector to climate change.

The document ties each of these actions to recommendations for a 2015 climate agreement, and options for countries to include them in their planned intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) under such an agreement. Recommendations for a 2015 climate agreement include: technical expert meetings to share best practices; support for carbon markets in countries that wish to use them; reviews of technological progress ahead of each round of mitigation target-setting; tracking global progress in energy efficiency and other key drivers; and incorporation of climate risks into energy infrastructure.

Options for addressing the actions in INCDs include: complementing greenhouse gas goals (GHG) with goals for renewables, energy efficiency, and emission intensity in the power sector; working across ministries to identify non-climate goals that could address mitigation objectives; and exploring mitigation actions to enhance resilience, such as energy efficiency and decentralized renewable power generation. [IEA Press Release] [Speech by van Der Hoeven] [IEA Publication: The Way Forward] [Launch Presentation]