- England captain Stokes in line for second Pakistan Test return
- Japan's former empress Michiko discharged after surgery: reports
- Japan's former empress Michiko discharged after surgey: reports
- Israel widens Lebanon strikes as troops fight Hezbollah along border
- Bowlers' graveyards: Pakistan's placid pitches under fresh fire
- 'Little Gregory' murder haunts France 40 years on
- Vietnam, China to expand rail links, cross-border payments
- Americans get their belief back as Pochettino makes his mark
- Vietnam, China to boost economic, defence cooperation
- Winning start for Pochettino's American adventure
- Tariffs, tax cuts, energy: What is in Trump's economic plan?
- Amazon wants to be everything to everyone
- US firms brace for more tariffs as election approaches
- Winning start for Poch's American adventure
- Morocco's tribeswomen see facial tattoo tradition fade
- Centre-left set to win as pro-Ukraine Lithuania votes
- Colombia guerilla group urges delegations not to attend COP16 in Cali
- Pakistan frets over security ahead of SCO summit
- Ronaldo scores 133rd Portugal goal in Nations League win over Poland
- 40 nations contributing to UN Lebanon peacekeeping force condemn 'attacks'
- Eight dead as heavy rain thrashes Brazil after long drought
- Jewish school in Canada hit by gunfire for second time
- Morocco crush Central African Republic, Guirassy scores hat-trick
- Dupont scores quickfire hat-trick on Toulouse Top 14 return
- Ronaldo scores in Portugal's Nations League win as Spain sink Denmark
- Interim boss Carsley has not applied for England job
- Mets hurler Senga ready to take on Dodgers in game one of NL Championship Series
- Ronaldo on target again as Portugal defeat Poland in Nations League
- Guardians rip Tigers 7-3 to advance in MLB playoffs
- AFP, BBC win top French war reporting awards
- Carsley goes back to basics as humbled England face Finland
- Alex Salmond: the man who took Scotland to the brink of independence
- Scotland's former leader Alex Salmond dies aged 69: party
- UN warns of catastrophe as Israel fights a two-front war
- Croatia extend Scotland's losing streak
- South Africa, New Zealand boost T20 World Cup semi-final hopes
- 'Very challenging': Israel faces Hezbollah in tricky terrain
- Farrell begins to feel at home as Racing 92 beat Toulon
- South Africa boost T20 World Cup semi-final hopes with Bangladesh win
- Samson ton powers India to T20 series sweep after record total
- Djokovic to face Sinner in Shanghai final with 100th title in sight
- UN peacekeepers to remain in Lebanon: spokesman
- Pro-Conquest film fuels debate in Mexico over colonial legacy
- Samson ton powers India to record 297-6 in Bangladesh T20
- New Zealand enjoy perfect start to America's Cup defence over Britain
- Pogacar emulates icon Coppi with fourth straight Il Lombardia triumph
- UN warns against 'catastrophic' regional conflict
- New Zealand crush Ineos Britannia in America's Cup opener
- Djokovic to face Sinner in blockbuster Shanghai Masters final
- With medical report Harris seeks to play health card against Trump
Trade barriers can slow energy transition: IEA chief
Trade barriers can slow the world's energy transition but commerce also needs to be fair, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol said Wednesday, as world powers tussle over the technologies key to fighting climate change.
Clean energy is among the hot topics this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with China denouncing "barriers to green trade" and the EU voicing concerns about "trade imbalances".
"Trade barriers can well be a factor slowing down the global clean energy transitions," Birol told AFP on the sidelines of the conference in the Swiss Alpine resort.
"But the general philosophy is, fair trade is a good friend of (the) clean energy transition," he said.
China leads the world in the deployment of solar and wind energy and it is also the biggest producer of electric cars.
Fears of a trade war erupted after the European Union launched a probe into Beijing's subsidies for its electric car industry, which could lead to punitive tariffs.
But EU nations are also worried about losing business to huge energy transition subsidies in the United States, which include tax breaks for US-made electric vehicles.
- Trade tensions -
Birol said China "plays a critical role when it comes to clean energy" that "provides a service to the rest of the world".
"But of course countries have to look what are the trade implications ... for their economies, whether or not this production is done in a fair way compared to other production," he added.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang told the forum on Tuesday that "discriminatory" trade measures are a threat to the world economy as "some high quality and efficient green and low carbon technologies and products cannot flow freely".
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told reporters that she had "clear and frank" discussions with Li on the "trade imbalances" with China.
Birol said Europe was at a "crossroads" as it was behind China in clean technology manufacturing, "and maybe soon behind the United States".
"It is time for Europe to come up with a roadmap, how we are going to revive our technological leadership in Europe, looking at the new market and technological framework conditions," he said.
- Ex-oil boss heads COP29 -
The wealthiest countries also need to fund the energy transition in developing nations for the world to meet its goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The target was agreed at the UN's COP28 climate summit in Dubai last month, along with an agreement to work towards "transitioning away" from fossil fuels.
Financing for developing countries was "the single most important item missing" in Dubai, Birol said.
Birol said he told a minister from Azerbaijan in Davos on Tuesday that he hopes the issue will be discussed when the country hosts COP29 in Baku later this year.
The Baku talks must address the problem for it to have a "fighting chance of being a successful" climate conference, he said.
Azerbaijan disappointed climate campaigners by appointing a former state oil company executive, now ecology minister Mukhtar Babayev, as president of COP 29.
COP28 was chaired by the head of the UAE's state oil company, sparking anger among activists.
Birol said there are "legitimate" questions over appointing someone who devoted their career to fossil fuels.
"However, in my view ... we shouldn't jump" to conclusions and "give them the opportunity to prove that they deserve to be the presidents of COP and they do deliver,' he said.
In his talks with Azerbaijani officials, he added, he saw "a lot of goodwill there. Whether or not goodwill be transformed into good outcomes is another story altogether."
P.Silva--AMWN