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Directorate of Sustainable Energy Policy and Technology (SPT)
The Directorate of Sustainable Energy Policy and Technology (SPT) is responsible for sustainable (demand-side) energy policy and energy technology policy. The Director serves as Chief IEA Technology Co-ordinator responsible for ensuring linkages between the Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT), the IEA Implementing Agreements and the Secretariat in terms of technology issues. The work of the Directorate is guided both by the CERT and the Standing Group on Long-Term Co-operation (SLT). The Directorate implements a considerable number of activities under the mandate of the G8 leaders in Heilgendamm (2007) and Hokkaido (2008). SPT includes two divisions:
Energy Efficiency and Environment Division (EED)
Main objectives of the EED division are to assess and design policy responses to energy-related CO2 emissions and to promote and support the implementation of ambitious, cost-effective policies to improve energy efficiency.
The CO2 work takes place in the context of strong emissions increases, especially in emerging economies, and is undertaken in close contact with the UNFCCC negotiations. It looks at the cost-effectiveness of climate policy instruments (e.g. emissions trading, regulations, sectoral approaches) and recommends improvements. It contributes to the international policy arena by delivering objective analyses and identifying new options. The goal is to improve the capacity of industrialised, emerging and developing countries to control CO2 emissions.
The IEA energy efficiency work helps governments at local, regional and national levels to design more effective and more ambitious energy efficiency policies. It concentrates on enhanced energy efficiency implementation, identifying and addressing emerging policy challenges and the facilitation of international co-operation. A key recent initiative was the formulation of 25 concrete efficiency recommendations, which were accepted by G8 leaders in their Hokkaido summit meeting in July 2008. In addition, three publicly available, electronic member country policy and measures databases (covering climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energy policies) are maintained on the IEA website and are being extended to major non-member countries.
Energy Technology Policy Division (ETP)
The ETP division produces analysis for energy policy makers and other stakeholders that assesses promising technology pathways towards a more sustainable energy future. The ground-breaking IEA publication, Energy Technology Perspectives, examines energy scenarios and strategies to 2050.
Technology Network Unit (NET)
The Technology Network Unit oversees the international collaborative activities of the IEA energy technology network, which includes 42 international collaborations known as “Implementing Agreements”. These function within an IEA collaborative framework enabling experts from different countries to optimise R&D investment and technology policy development by working jointly on RD&D information dissemination and results sharing. The Unit liaises with the Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT) and its working parties on fossil fuels, renewable energy, end-use technologies and fusion power. Full membership of Implementing Agreements is available to dialogue countries and, through its NEET (Networks of Expertise in Energy Technology) initiative, the IEA is working to enhance the participation of major developing countries. Special NEET workshops have been held in South Africa, Brazil, China and Russia. A workshop in India will be held later in 2009.