IEA warns of investment chasm
Energy funding poised to plunge as renewables fare better than fossil fuels
Global investment in the energy sector will contract sharply in 2020, with governments prioritising control of the Covid-19 pandemic and many economies able to reopen only partially. In its World Energy Investment 2020 report, the IEA estimates that global investment could decline by 20pc—the largest slump ever recorded. The oil sector will be the most severely impacted, with the agency warning investment will fall by a third this year. Consumer spending will decline by an enormous $1tn. Oil companies have shelved or delayed spending in 2020 to combat the financial impact of Covid-19 and sunken oil prices. Oil demand fell by 25mn bl/d year-on-year in April, when global lockdowns were at thei
Also in this section
23 March 2026
A complex and sometimes contradictory web of factors that include unpredictable oil prices, the globalisation of LNG markets, the expansion of Middle Eastern sovereign capital and the growth of datacentre demand will shape the energy landscape beyond 2026
23 March 2026
The Strait of Hormuz crisis highlights how key waterways can become global chokepoints
20 March 2026
Attacks on key oil and LNG assets across the Gulf mean a prolonged supply disruption, with damage to Qatar’s export capacity undermining confidence in the global gas system
20 March 2026
The US may be systemically stripping Russia of key geopolitical allies, but Moscow can reap rewards from the Hormuz crisis, both in the short and long term
