A few reasons for hope.
In these bewildering times of a global order undergoing significant shifts with unforeseen energy implications and a majority of planetary boundaries being surpassed, each encouraging signal, no matter how faint, warrants particular emphasis.
In 2023, the IPCC released its latest report. The IEA published its 2023 update of the "World Energy Outlook" last October (see this excellent post here, in French). France has also made public its "French Energy Climate Strategy."
Yes, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has reached unprecedented levels in 2 million years. Nevertheless, the emissions curve is beginning to show a significant inflection, with an anticipated peak in the coming years.
Yes, the world still relies on fossil fuels for 80% of its energy. However, the IEA, for the first time, foresees a peak in the consumption of natural gas, coal, and oil by 2030, based on current policies.
Yes, current policies fall far short of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. However the IPCC's WG III imparts a crucial lesson: low-carbon energies, particularly photovoltaic and wind, possess the tangible potential to lead us there at acceptable costs. Presently, an unprecedented number of photovoltaic modules have been installed globally. In 2022 alone, 240GW were installed—almost twice the amount from the previous year—making it the most cost-effective energy in history (down to $10/MWh).
Recommended by LinkedIn
Yes, a significant majority of photovoltaic components and vehicle batteries originate from China, with materials sourced from non-European continents. However substantial efforts are now underway to start relocating these value chains to Europe and closing the material loop. Noteworthy announcements include a dozen new photovoltaic component manufacturing projects in 2023 and the ongoing development of about fifty gigafactories for batteries in Europe.
This is, of course, unfinished business. Let’s just hope the COP28 will live up to the challenge.
So, have a great end to the year 2023.
R&D⎪Organic & Polymer chemistry⎪Materials development⎪Biopolymers-based materials⎪3D printing
11moGreat publication about our sustainable energy future. 👍 However, after all, the installed unprecedented number of photovoltaic modules means that we will have very soon the same number of modules that have exhausted their life potential. Makes us think about recycling.