Amid conflict, electoral transformations, and the emergence of generative AI, the Atlantic Council launched its annual flagship report, the Global Energy Agenda, chronicling changes, challenges, and opportunities in the energy system through leadership perspectives and a survey of more than 1,000 energy professionals across more than 100 countries. Collectively, these views provide a valuable roadmap for building a more secure, sustainable, and resilient energy system.
Read the full report here.
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On balancing competing pressures
In recognition of the complexity of the energy system, rising energy demand, and that every energy source has tradeoffs, Rick Muncrief, who just retired as CEO of Devon Energy, sums up the realities facing the sector this way: “We cannot prioritize clean energy over reliability and affordability, we cannot pursue reliability and affordability at the expense of the environment, and we cannot develop energy policies and systems that do not account for geopolitical risks domestically and abroad.”
These geopolitical risks feature strongly in our survey results, with respondents citing conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s unjust war in Ukraine as the biggest concerns. These risks raised the alarm over the use of energy for geopolitical leverage and renewed determination among US business leaders and policymakers to ramp up innovation and manufacturing domestically.
What will be the biggest risk in energy geopolitics in the coming year?
On seeking common ground
But amid this competitive spirit, policymakers know that they cannot secure their respective energy systems alone. Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner of energy and housing, identifies key areas, including supply chains, cybersecurity, liquefied natural gas, and nuclear energy, where US-EU partnership is critical for both to achieve energy security, writing: “In the face of challenges to come, it will be essential to find and reinforce our common connections, wherever they exist.”
On advancing the energy transition
Energy leaders also make clear in our Agenda that the momentum of the energy transition has taken on a life of its own. Andrés Rebolledo Smitmans, executive secretary of the Latin America Energy Organization (OLADE), notes that in Latin America and the Caribbean “the share of renewable energy in electricity generation increased from 53 percent to 68 percent in the past ten years, while greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 26 percent.” Ramping up progress will “require investments in unprecedented volumes of materials, which must flow and materialize in relatively short periods.”
This unprecedented amount of investment is perhaps why, out of all sectors we surveyed, those who work in finance predict the longest runway for reaching net-zero emissions.
Median year estimated for achieving net zero (by sector and region/country)
However, progress toward advanced nuclear energy and greater regional cooperation will continue to move the world toward both decarbonization and development.
As Lassina Zerbo, chair of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board, writes, “Nuclear energy—and in particular small modular and micro reactors (SMRs)—can revolutionize the African energy landscape and promote sustainable development.” In Southeast Asia, Kok Keong Puah, chief executive of Singapore’s Energy Market Authority, emphasizes that interconnections are key to regional decarbonization, but also that a “stable, prosperous, and decarbonized Southeast Asia will not only benefit the region but also strengthen global supply chains, promote economic growth, and contribute to climate stability.”
And one of the most intriguing advancements to watch in 2025 will be the promise of generative AI, which could lead to a game-changing acceleration toward net-zero targets.
While acknowledging that energy demand for AI is currently growing, Josh Parker, senior director of corporate sustainability at Nvidia, writes, “AI is also proving to be a powerful tool for finding ways to save energy and may very well become the best tool we have for advancing sustainability worldwide.”
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The Global Energy Center develops and promotes pragmatic and nonpartisan policy solutions designed to advance global energy security, enhance economic opportunity, and accelerate pathways to net-zero emissions.
Image: Natural gas power plant. (American Public Power Association, Unsplash) https://unsplash.com/photos/bird-eye-view-photography-of-lighted-building-TF-DL_2L1JM