World Energy Issues Monitor

World Energy Issues Monitor

For the past 16 years, the World Energy Council has diligently monitored global energy leaders' perspectives on issues impacting energy transitions through our annual World Energy Issues Monitor.  

A vital source of critical information guiding action priorities for faster, fairer and more far-reaching global energy transitions, the Issues Monitor assesses the impact and uncertainty of pre-identified energy transition issues by soliciting feedback from policymakers, CEOs and leading industry experts.  

It offers insights into a) Action Priorities, representing areas where countries are actively advancing their energy transition efforts; and b) Critical Uncertainties, highlighting issues that are of concern to energy leaders and require leadership attention.   

The Issues Monitor Survey monitors 39 core energy transition issues across 6 categories: 

• Geopolitical issues  
• Economic issues  
• Societal issues  
• Regulatory regimes  
• (Technology) Gamechangers  
• Environment and climate change 

The World Energy Issues Monitor’s insights provide snapshots of emerging trends and transformations across the entire energy ecosystem. These perspectives are presented in combination with regional-level commentaries and country-level Issues Maps to better inform decision-making discussions. As we stretch and sustain more collaboration across geographies, genders, and generations, we encourage you to consider the following when analysing the impact of energy transitions:

• What are the implications of regional diversity in energy?
• What is working, and how can it work in other places?
• As we grapple with connected challenges – and social, environmental, geopolitical, and financial risks – what are the opportunities?

WORLD ENERGY ISSUES MONITOR 2026

PRACTICING THE WORLD ENERGY TRILEMMA: ENERGY TRANSITIONS IN 2026

The World Energy Issues Monitor survey this report is based upon was conducted between 24 November 2025 and 12 January 2026. The consultation with our International Advisory Group and Regional Leadership Exchanges that informed this commentary took place during January and February 2026, prior to the currently escalating situation across the Middle East and Gulf States. The 2026 World Energy Issues Monitor should be understood in this context.  

Energy transitions rarely move in straight or predictable lines. They bend, stall, accelerate, and adapt. The 2026 World Energy Issues Monitor captures a moment in world energy systems where momentum and strain coexist. The global system is expanding even as it transforms, shaped increasingly by geopolitical and environmental priorities rather than purely economic forces.

The 2026 World Energy Issues Monitor shows that even before the outbreak of the conflict across the Middle East, the global energy community sees geopolitical threats and uncertainty as the defining feature shaping the energy landscape. shows that even before the outbreak of the conflict across the Middle East, the global energy community sees geopolitical threats and uncertainty as the defining feature shaping the energy landscape.

This edition of the World Energy Issues Monitor draws insights from over 2,750 respondents across 110 countries.

We invite you to harness the power of this tool not just for reading and reflecting, but also as a catalyst for action and collaboration in our pursuit of making faster, fairer and more far-reaching energy transitions happen. 

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE 

WORLD ENERGY ISSUES MONITOR 2025

WORLD ENERGY TRANSITIONS IN MOTION

Energy transitions around the globe are increasingly dynamic, emergent, and self-organising – much like the flocking of birds. Each bird reacts to its neighbours and surroundings, creating evolving formations that may look different from one moment to the next yet remain guided by the same basic rules. Energy transitions follow the same patterns, with a few unifying drivers – like climate concerns, technology advances, and social imperatives – shaping countless local variations, depending on political, economic, and cultural conditions.

The 2025 World Energy Issues Monitor serves as our lens into these patterns. It shows what factors drive energy transitions, how regions and groups respond differently, and where shared insights can help us nudge the global energy sector onto more human-centred, resilient, and inclusive pathways. Decarbonising our energy systems has yet to truly begin. And, at a time when the international landscape is growing more fragmented – with multiple poles of influence and competing agendas – understanding these regional differences is both urgent and essential to start the process of net-zero and beyond.

CHECK OUT REGIONAL AND COUNTRY COMMENTARIES HERE

View past editions of the World Energy Issues Monitor