Energy Transition
➡️ The Sustainable Energy Transition – Shifting Away from Fossil Fuels
Also known as the green transition, the global shift from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas to renewable, low-emission energy sources is essential to ensure energy security and a healthier planet for future generations.
This transition is driven by the need to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, as well as to reduce reliance on finite resources that are environmentally damaging.
Not only will this switch help to protect our planet, but it also promotes energy security, economic growth, and job creation in new energy sectors.
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The energy transition is currently off-track. The COVID-19 pandemic and gas shortages due to the war in Ukraine further added to the challenges facing the transition. Sustainable Development Goal 7 - ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all – is failing. Based on current trends, by 2030, there will still be 660 million people without electricity and 1.8 billion without access to clean energy.
At current rates, the planet will fall well short of the 1.5°C goal, and by 2050, we are facing an emissions gap of 16 Gt.
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Air pollution from fossil fuels kills 5 million people every year.
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In 2023, fossil fuels were responsible for 36.8 billion metric tonnes of CO2 emissions, an increase of 1.1% from the previous year.
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The number of climate-related disasters has tripled in the last 30 years. In 2023, there were 28 weather and climate disasters, surpassing the previous record of 22 in 2020 - the cost of these totalled $92.9 billion.
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In 2022, global fossil fuel subsidies reached an all-time high of $7 trillion.
The Role of Renewable Energies
Since fossil fuels are the biggest contributor to the climate crisis, we must switch to clean energy sources to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
Currently, 30% of global energy is generated by solar, wind, and hydropower. Not only are these energy sources clean, they are also sustainable - their supply will never run out.
At present, only seven countries produce almost all of their electricity from renewable sources, mainly in the form of hydroelectricity - Albania, Bhutan, Nepal, Paraguay, Iceland, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Other countries leading the way are Costa Rica, Sweden, Germany, Uruguay, Kenya, Morocco, New Zealand, and Norway. These countries are proving that the transition is possible.
The electrification of our energy systems is key to meeting climate targets. Replacing old technology with electric versions, such as electric cars and heat pumps, allows us to utilise renewable energy easily and affordably.
To limit global warming to 1.5°C, the world needs to triple its renewable energy capacity by 2030. The installation of renewable infrastructure has been greater than fossil fuel and nuclear for the last 4 years. Continued massive funding and investment into the renewable energy sector is essential.
SOLAR ENERGY
Solar electricity generation is estimated to surpass gas by 2026 and coal by 2027. It is the fastest-growing renewable energy sector. Solar is also now the cheapest source of renewable energy, with prices dropping by 90% since 2010. It is now cheaper to produce than gas!
WIND ENERGY
The cost of producing wind power has also dropped - 90% since the 1980s. It takes just 3-6 months for turbines to produce the amount of energy needed to cover their manufacture, installation, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning! The average installed capacity of turbines in 2022 was 3.2 megawatts, enough to meet the electricity demand of around 1,500 households. Offshore wind has the potential to generate 18 times the current global electricity demand. By 2030, the wind energy sector will employ 4 million people.
HYDROELECTRICITY
The World's number one renewable energy source accounts for 71% of all renewable energy generated. The largest hydropower station in the world is the Three Gorges Dam in China, with generators big enough to produce a gigantic 22,500 megawatts of power. Expensive, vulnerable to drought, and with serious consequences for surrounding communities and ecosystems, hydropower, although clean and sustainable, unfortunately brings a different set of problems.
Barriers to the Green Transition
Many economic, political, and environmental factors influence the speed and success of the energy transition. Pressure from profit-hungry oil, gas, and coal giants severely hinders progress. Corporate greenwashing has been used as a tactic to distract the public from the realities of the fossil fuel industry, and it allows them to continue operating with impunity.
Climate denial and the withholding of key scientific findings has allowed Big Oil to continue upscaling operations. Companies such as ExxonMobil, Shell, and BP have kept this dirty secret since the 1970s, long before the public was made aware of the consequences of unchecked fossil fuel energy production.
There cannot be an energy transition without an end to lobbying by Big Oil and gigantic fossil fuel subsidies. In 2022, a staggering $7 trillion was spent by governments propping up the fossil fuel industry - 7.1% of GDP. These subsidies are one of the biggest barriers preventing the shift to renewable energy sources. They are designed to protect consumers by keeping prices low, but in reality, they create higher taxes, lower public spending, enable unchecked pollution, and strip investment away from renewable energy projects.
The revival of the nuclear power industry is another key obstacle to the renewable shift. Touted as a clean alternative to fossil fuels, this short-sighted vision ignores the major risks and costs of nuclear energy. Despite their enormous cost, the nuclear weapons proliferation risk, decades-long construction time, reliance on cancer-causing uranium mines, and the unsolved issue of nuclear waste, there are currently 65 reactors under construction and a further 90 planned.
True renewable energy sources are the answer, but high initial costs of installation, misguided political influence, and the enormous weight of the fossil fuel industry are preventing a fast and just transition.
Devastatingly, climate injustice means that those who are affected first and most severely are the nations and communities that contribute least to its causes. Developing countries which support higher populations of low-income and disadvantaged people are on the frontlines of climate change and are the least able to protect themselves.
The energy transition is essential to provide future generations with a planet worth living for, to commit to sustainability goals, and to ensure the protection of our environment, ecosystems, and health. International cooperation and the sharing of technological advancements are crucial to promoting the use of renewable energy worldwide.
The energy transition not only offers the opportunity to mitigate the climate crisis, but also helps the poorest nations develop faster and helps build a more sustainable future for future generations.
Author: Rachael Mellor, 20.02.25 licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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