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.

As incomes and temperatures rise around the world, demand for cooling is soaring. And while expanding access to air conditioning stands to improve quality of life for millions of people, it is also putting new strain on electricity systems during hot periods.

In this episode, we hear from Brian Motherway, who leads the IEA’s work on energy efficiency. He walks through the latest global data on air conditioning demand, the consequences for energy affordability and reliability, and what governments can do to help.

When you think of batteries, you might picture charging a phone or laptop. But it’s the energy industry that has transformed the battery market over the past decade. Today, over 90% of battery demand comes from the energy sector, driven by record-breaking electric car sales and the rapid growth of battery storage to support power grids around the world.

In this episode, we hear from Teo Lombardo, an IEA analyst specialising in batteries, and Araceli Fernandez Pales, the head of the IEA’s Technology Innovation Unit. They explain how batteries work and their role in modern energy systems, as well as why prices have fallen dramatically in recent years and what innovations could drive further growth.

Oil markets have faced significant turbulence this year. Heightened geopolitical risks, trade tensions and policy shifts have all affected the outlook. At the same time, the major drivers of supply and demand over the past 15 years are losing momentum, signalling that a deeper transformation of markets is underway.

In this episode, Toril Bosoni, Head of the IEA’s Oil Industry and Markets Division, unpacks the latest developments, speaking about the forces shaping oil markets today, how resilient they could be to tensions in the Middle East and elsewhere, and what the oil market might look like in the years ahead.

For the past 10 years, the IEA’s World Energy Investment report has been the definitive guide to where money is going in the global energy sector. It breaks down the latest data for all the key fuels, technologies and industries.

In a context of heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty, global energy investment is set to reach a record $3.3 trillion in 2025. In this episode, we’re joined by Cecilia Tam, Head of the IEA’s Energy Investment Unit. She unpacks the report’s key themes – from how energy security concerns are driving investment decisions, to China’s position as the single biggest investor in energy, and why so much money is going into electricity.

The automotive industry has faced major challenges in recent years, from pandemic-driven supply chain shocks to inflation and geopolitical uncertainty. But amid the turmoil, global sales of electric vehicles have continued to break records.

In 2024, more than one in five cars sold globally were electric, and this year it's expected to be one in four. In some parts of the world, EVs are now cheaper than conventional cars. But what's driving these trends? Who's making these cars? How are we charging them? And how is their uptake reshaping the world’s energy system?

In this episode, we speak with IEA Energy Technology and Transport Analyst Elizabeth Connelly to answer these questions and unpack the 2025 edition of the IEA's annual Global EV Outlook, out now.