Energy Transition
What Is an Energy Transition?
An energy transition is a significant structural change in how energy is produced and consumed. The current global energy transition focuses on moving from fossil fuels to sustainable energy systems in order to reduce climate change.
Through science, business, and politics, the energy transition has become a planetary event. In 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was signed and came into force in 1994. Its governing body, the Conference of the Parties (CoP), meets annually.
At CoP21 in 2015, 195 countries adopted the Paris Agreement, committing to limit global warming to below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050. This agreement entered into force in 2016 and relies on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are measured, reported, and updated by each country.
Why Is There an Energy Transition?
1. Climate Change
Climate change is causing habitat destruction, extreme weather, melting ice caps, and growing uncertainty about the planet’s future. Rising temperatures are altering weather patterns, displacing animal species, and forcing people to leave their homes.
Our current energy model relies heavily on burning fossil fuels. This releases carbon dioxide (CO₂), a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere. Since 1880, Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by approximately 1.1°C.
Scientists reconstruct past climates by analysing sediment cores extracted from the seafloor. Research vessels such as the Marion du Fresne drill up to 6,500 metres below the ocean floor, revealing hundreds of thousands of years of climate history.
Changes in sediment layers reflect variations in ice coverage, marine life, and temperature. The last 10,000 years — the Holocene — have been characterised by relatively stable and mild climate conditions.
Unrecoverable Carbon
Earth’s atmosphere is influenced not only by how much carbon humans emit, but also by how much the planet can absorb. Plants absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, producing glucose and oxygen using chlorophyll.
Unrecoverable carbon refers to carbon stored in ancient forests, mangroves, and peatlands. If these ecosystems are destroyed, their stored carbon is released into the atmosphere and cannot be recaptured within meaningful timeframes, because these ecosystems regenerate very slowly — or not at all.
The 1.5°C Climate Benchmark
The Paris Agreement aims to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Achieving this requires reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, meaning the world must remove as much carbon dioxide as it emits.
In 2024, global temperatures exceeded the 1.5°C threshold for the first time. The World Meteorological Organization forecasts a 70% chance that the 2025–2029 period will average more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
2. Resource Scarcity
Fossil fuels were formed billions of years ago before modern decomposers, such as fungi, evolved to recycle organic matter. As a result, Earth has not produced new fossil fuels for approximately 3 billion years.
Coal, oil, and natural gas are finite resources and are becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to extract.
3. Pollution
Burning fossil fuels releases pollutants in addition to carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide harms human health, while nitrogen and sulphur compounds form oxides that contribute to acid rain.
The Rise of Sustainable Energy Systems
1. Energy Production
Changing how we generate energy is central to the energy transition. Renewable sources such as hydro, wind, and solar reduce dependence on coal, oil, and gas.
Demand is also growing for electric transport, including electrified public transport and private electric vehicles.
2. Location of Energy Generation
Traditional electricity systems rely on large, centralised power stations that transmit energy over long distances, leading to transmission losses and environmental harm.
The energy transition favours distributed energy resources, where power is generated close to where it is used. This reduces losses and environmental impact.
3. Energy Sharing
Distributed systems enable microgrids, where groups of users generate and share electricity through smart networks.
Microgrids support sustainable development by providing power to energy-poor communities, improving education, healthcare, access to clean water, and economic opportunity.
Concerns and Trade-Offs
While the energy transition is essential, it also brings challenges. Manufacturing wind turbines, solar panels, and hydro infrastructure requires large amounts of energy, which still often comes from fossil fuels.
Battery technologies frequently rely on cobalt and lithium. Much of the world’s cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where unsafe working conditions and child labour are documented. Lithium extraction in the Andes has raised concerns among Indigenous communities over land rights and water depletion.
An Opportunity
The energy transition is complex and challenging, but it is also an opportunity. Reducing emissions from electricity generation, transport, and industry is essential to limiting climate change.
New technologies and ideas for producing, storing, and distributing energy can drive innovation and development. However, this transition must be guided by deep research into materials, processes, and ethics to ensure energy systems are effective, reliable, and truly sustainable.