International Energy Agency says target to limit temperature to 1.5°C is out of reach
International Energy Agency says target to limit temperature to 1.5°C is out of reachShare current article via TwitterLondon — Global oil and gas demand could grow until 2050, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday, departing from previous expectations of a speedy transition to cleaner fuels after US criticism about its climate focus.
The Paris-based energy security watchdog also predicted in its annual outlook that the world will likely fail to meet its goal to cap the rise in temperatures to as close as possible to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial times to avoid the most devastating effects of climate change. The IEA has been under pressure from the US for a shift in recent years toward a focus on clean energy policies as President Donald Trump called on US companies to expand oil and gas production. During the Biden administration, it predicted that global oil demand would peak this decade and said there should be an end to investment in new oil, gas and coal projects if the world wanted to reach net zero emissions by mid-century. US energy secretary Chris Wright has called its demand peak projections “nonsensical”. The IEA is funded by member countries, with the US the largest contributor. In its World Energy Outlook published on Wednesday, the IEA predicted under a present policies scenario that oil demand will hit 113-million barrels per day by mid-century, up about 13% from 2024 consumption. It predicted that global energy demand will climb by 90 exajoules by 2035 — a 15% increase from present levels. The scenario, which the IEA first used in 2019 before switching to one more in line with a clean energy transition, is based on existing government policies and not aspirations to achieve climate goals. IEA head Fatih Birol said on a press call the scenario was restored to reflect differing choices governments are making about energy. Opec has previously disputed peak oil demand forecasts. “We hope … we have passed the peak in the misguided notion of ‘peak oil’,” Opec said on Wednesday. This year’s outlook ditched the pledges scenario as the IEA said not enough countries had submitted new commitments to produce a meaningful picture. In the stated policies scenario, which considers proposed but not necessarily adopted policies, oil demand peaks around 2030. The difference in projections is largely due to diverging expectations of electric vehicle uptake. The IEA said its scenarios explore a range of possible outcomes under various sets of assumptions and are not forecasts. Final investment decisions for new liquefied natural gas projects have surged in 2025, the report noted. Operations for about 300-billion cubic metres of new annual LNG export capacity will start by 2030, marking a 50% increase in available supply. Based on the present policies scenario, the global LNG market increases from about 560-billion cubic metres in 2024 to 880-billion cubic metres in 2035 and to 1,020-billion cubic metres in 2050, driven by rising power sector demand fuelled by data centres and AI growth. Global investment in data centres is expected to reach $580bn in 2025, the report said, noting that if achieved this would surpass the $540bn a year spent globally on oil supply. The report includes a scenario describing a pathway to reduce global energy emissions to net zero by 2050. More than 190 countries pledged at the Paris climate talks in 2015 to try to keep the world from warming more than 1.5ºC. The report shows the world surpassing that in all scenarios. “We need to speed up and scale up and governments at COP30 must now agree on a global response plan to urgently bridge the 1.5ºC ambition gap,” Kaisa Kosonen, senior policy adviser at Greenpeace Nordic said, referring to the UN climate talks under way in Brazil.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Blast from the past: Proteas lose first ODI series on return to international stageToday in SA sport history: November 11
Read more ”
AKA, Tibz murders: Ndimande brothers to land at King Shaka International Airport todayThe Ndimande brothers are set to land in South Africa and appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court today.
Read more ”
FNB and Mastercard Launch Globba for International Money TransfersFNB and Mastercard have introduced Globba, a new payment service enabling international money transfers to over 120 countries. The service offers various payment options, including bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash pick-up. Fees start at R30, and funds are received nearly instantly. Aimed at low-value remittances, Globba is accessible through the FNB and RMB banking apps. The initiative seeks to address financial inclusion and offers a cost-effective alternative to existing services. The digital payments economy is expected to reach US$1.5 trillion by 2030.
Read more ”
Amnesty International on pit toilet deaths: ‘No child should die in such a horrendous way’Despite promises from the government, pit toilets continue to claim young lives across South Africa.
Read more ”
Global Headlines: Economic Concerns, Political Maneuvering, and International Developments Dominate NewsA summary of the major news stories making headlines worldwide on November 12, 2025, covering economic issues, political challenges, international relations, and cultural developments.
Read more ”
Mandisi Dyantyis to headline 15th Desmond Tutu International Peace LectureWhile Mandisi Dyantyis provides the music, the lecture’s keynote address will be delivered by acclaimed Indian author Dr Shashi Tharoor.
Read more “
