Innovation Insights

Innovation Tools

Innovation is one component of our Transition Toolkit. It makes sense of the fast-moving pace of the energy transition by digging deeper into current and future trends and the role of technology, policy and social innovation. The series includes discussion papers, virtual discussion hubs and workshops to further engage energy stakeholders and allow for innovation to be shared, adopted, and possibly implemented on a wider scale.

This work:

• Identifies trends and opportunities: evolving technology and trends can be tracked with the World Energy Issues Monitor, highlighting the impact of innovative solutions that are being applied around the world. 

• Shares learning: energy leaders can use the Innovation tools from our Transition Toolkit to enrich their understanding of the innovative topic and share best practices and learn successful strategies that are being implemented across the world to support decision making in their organisation. The World Energy Insights and Workshops provide the latest information on specific innovation themes and explores future possibilities to turn ideas into reality.

• Engages energy partners: innovation workshops and activities provide a space for members and partners to exchange idea and experiences with the Council’s network of energy influencers and shapers – including key industry players, government bodies and policy makers – to identify synergies and partnership opportunities and drive forward action.

Innovation: Deep Dive Hydrogen

Low-Carbon Hydrogen at Scale: Hopes and Challenges

Hydrogen has been a recurring subject of hype for decades but has only seen limited impact. Beyond the circles of hydrogen enthusiasts, the molecule has often been regarded as an impasse and relegated to the realm of the future, despite its promise as an energy vector. However, since 2018, the World Energy Issues Monitor and World Energy Scenarios see hydrogen becoming a topic of high impact in the eyes of energy leaders worldwide, which could play a significant role in the coming years in energy systems and for energy transitions. This renewed interest in hydrogen shows signs of significant step changes with global implications. 

Since 2019, the World Energy Council has developed several deep dives on hydrogen, to better understand its true potential for energy systems and energy transitions. Building on the engagement of worldwide community, the World Energy Insights on hydrogen aim to provide energy leaders with key information for decision-making on the topic of hydrogen.  

DEEP DIVE - Hydrogen

Latest insights

Our innovation insight themes are continually being updated through feedback from Council Members who engage in strategic conversations and other activities. Examples of our recent themes and activities include:

• World Energy Pulse April 2022 - the world is reeling from global energy shocks triggered by the convergence of crises: climate change, covid, and conflict. World Energy Pulse 2022 presents a quick “pulse” of current attitudes and trends felt across the industry and provides global and regional perspectives of crises implications and transformational actions.

• World Energy Issues Monitor 2022 - the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to overshadow global economies and the pathway to recovery remains uncertain. Set against this backdrop and undertaken immediately following COP26, this annual edition of the World Energy Issues Monitor represents a snapshot of the views of nearly 2,200 energy leaders from 91 countries.

• World Energy Trilemma Index 2021 - an energy policy pathfinding tool that relies upon historic data to assess past energy policy performances aimed at helping countries and energy stakeholders prioritise areas of energy policy that require most improvement and explore appropriate solutions.

• Hydrogen on the Horizon: Ready, Almost Set, Go? - our briefing, in collaboration with EPRI and PwC, aims to provide a better understanding of hydrogen development worldwide for the energy community, building on the expertise and experience of our global network. 

• Performing while Transforming: the role of transmission companies in the Energy Transition - explores the various challenges affecting transmission companies as they prepare and re-think their operations and business models.

• Five Steps to Energy Storage - as the global electricity systems are shaped by decentralisation, digitalisation and decarbonisation, the briefing explores the new frontiers in energy transitions and the challenges of keeping pace with fast moving developments.

Innovation tools