Natural hazards, often exacerbated by climate change, are among the leading causes of power service disruptions worldwide. These are increasingly impacting utilities’ planning and operations. Countries like Colombia, Kenya, Mozambique, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United States have all faced severe disruptions in recent years. The impact on power systems is multifaceted: heat waves can damage […]

Energy intensity and efficiency are at the core of the green transition. Using a new firm-level complexity index, this column shows that product upgrading and access to trade with advanced trading partners drive firms to adopt energy-efficient technologies. This is especially the case for small firms, which experience significant energy intensity reductions. Though large firms […]

Euro area economic performance has been subdued since around 2018. This column outlines how this subdued performance underscores the multifaceted challenges of energy dependency, manufacturing vulnerabilities, and shifting global trade dynamics. Manufacturing has struggled amidst rising energy prices, which intensified export declines in high natural gas-intensive sectors. Shifting trade dynamics with China – characterised by […]