Products made from petrochemicals are all around us – in our clothes, electronics, packaging, medical equipment, tires and so much more. But what are petrochemicals? And why are they so important for the future of global oil markets?

In this episode, we speak with IEA Oil Market Analysts David Martin and Ciarán Healy. They explain how petrochemicals are produced, why demand for them is rising quickly and what this could mean for the oil sector, from the impact on refineries to the potential implications for emissions.

When many people think about energy, electricity comes to mind. The bedrock of modern societies and economies, it powers everything from home appliances to factory machinery – keeping the lights on, trains running and much more – although a great deal more work is needed to ensure universal access to it worldwide.

Globally, electricity demand is rising quickly. So, in this episode, we speak with IEA Electricity Analyst Eren Çam. He explains which sources the world’s power comes from today and how that mix could evolve in the years ahead – as well as how countries can ramp up electricity supply securely and affordably.

Today, four in five families in African countries cook with fuels such as wood and charcoal over open fires or basic stoves. This leads to more than 800,000 premature deaths each year. But new IEA analysis shows that momentum is building to address this critical issue – opening a pathway to reach universal access to clean cooking in Africa by 2040.

In this episode, we hear from Syrine El Abed, IEA Africa Programme Manager, and Dan Wetzel, Head of the IEA’s Tracking Sustainable Transitions Unit. They explain what the lack of clean cooking supplies means in practice, what the latest data reveals, what more can be done to close the access gap, and why the energy sector is key to solving this challenge.