Heat accounts for over half of global energy consumption and is a significant contributor to CO2 emissions. Renewables play a key role in decarbonising and providing cleaner heat but currently account for less than 10% of heat supply. A range of barriers need to be overcome to increase renewable heat deployment, yet renewable heat has received much less policy attention than renewable electricity.

This paper examines the heat policies of nine IEA member and partner countries: China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It aims to identify what policy approaches work and how to achieve a step-change in the deployment of renewable heat and other sustainable heat options.