What is the 'energy transition' and how is it going? This week's Radio Davos

Apr 21, 2021

The Energy Transition Index tracks progress in 115 countries. Image: Daniel Moqvist on Unsplash

Robin Pomeroy

Podcast Editor, World Economic Forum

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Energy Transition

The Energy Transition Index tracks progress in 115 countries.
Looks at: economic development, environmental sustainability and energy security.
Huge growth in renewables but coal and other fossil fuels not declining.

Greenhouse gas emission are already back from that COVID-induced dip when lockdowns brought much industrial activity and transport to a halt.

So is there any hope of an energy transition away from fossil fuels quickly enough to avert climate catastrophe?

In the latest episode of Radio Davos, we hear from one of the authors of the Energy Transition Index 2021, which measures the performance of the energy systems of 115 countries in three areas: economic development and growth, environmental sustainability and energy security.

Have you read?

And Reuters Energy Correspondent Shadia Nasralla gives her view on the state of global energy and the implications for climate change.

Charts mentioned by Shadia:

energy transition Global coal generation

Coal's markets are fast declining in favor of energy transition to renewables. Image: Energy Transition Index; BP, Statistical Review of World Energy 2020

Offshore wind annual installation forecast up to 2030 energy transition

Offshore wind installation can give a boost to the energy transition goals. Image: GWEC

Jargon buster

Paris Agreement - Climate change treaty adopted in Paris on 12 December 2015 with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

IEA - International Energy Agency - read its most recent report here.

ESG - the environmental, social and governance aspects of business performance, read about the World Economic Forum's work on ESG here. And hear our interview with Mark Carney here:

'Hard to abate sectors' - sectors of the economy where switching away from fossil fuels is particularly difficult, but very important, such as aviation, trucking, shipping, aluminium, chemicals, cement and concrete, and iron and steel. Read about the Forum's Mission Possible initiative here.

CCUS - carbon capture, utilisation and storage

Carbon intensity - the amount of CO2 produced per unit of economic output.

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