The International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced plans for a high-level global commission to bring together government leaders, ministers and prominent thinkers to explore how best to empower citizens to benefit from the opportunities and navigate the disruptions resulting from clean energy transitions.

The new commission, Our Inclusive Energy Future, will be headed by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark and it will consider the social and economic impacts on individuals and communities, as well as issues of affordability and fairness.

Announcing its key themes for the coming year IEA also promised a new report, The World’s Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050, which will set out in detail what is needed from governments, companies, investors and citizens to fully decarbonise the energy sector. The new roadmap will be released on 18 May and will be one of a series of new IEA projects to support efforts to reach global energy and climate goals.

Fatih Birol, IEA’s executive director, said “Our roadmap to net zero can play a vital role in helping countries identify and implement the actions needed to achieve climate, energy security and affordability goals. Nothing short of a total transformation of our energy infrastructure will be required. That calls for decisive action this year, next year and indeed every year to 2050”.

IEA also said that reinvigorating international energy cooperation will be a major theme of its Clean Energy Transitions Summit, which will be co-hosted with the UK government on 31 March. The summit will focus on how governments can work together more effectively to ensure long-term net-zero targets are translated into concrete action in the run up to COP26.

“International collaboration is at the heart of the UK’s COP26 Presidency, and I am proud that the UK government will co-host the COP26-IEA Clean Energy Transitions Summit to help accelerate the global shift to clean, affordable and resilient energy,” said Alok Sharma in his new role as COP26 President.