The International Energy Agency has recently put out a report that suggests the move to renewable energy will speed up in reaction to the Ukrainian crisis. The agency claims that demand for fossil fuels will lower or stay stable in all potential scenarios, while more people will start using renewable energy sources. A year ago, the IEA predicted that by 2050, renewables would make up 26 percent of the world’s energy supply. This year, they raised their prediction to 29 percent.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is also anticipated to cause a major shift in the way natural gas is used. Last year, the IEA predicted that the use of the resource would grow beyond 2050. However, it now believes that natural gas burning will stop increasing and level off over the next several decades. Beyond that, currently, COP27 is taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to argue how countries can best meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Renewables are not to be discarded
Renewables are a type of energy that come from natural things that can be used again and again. The story with renewables is similar to the story with gas, but the change in projection has been less extreme. Coal is a type of fossil fuel, which is a kind of energy that comes from things like oil and gas. The decline in coal’s use is now expected to speed up. All in all, fossil fuels are still expected to supply more than half of global energy by 2050. But as their use declines, the highest point for global emissions would be reached in 2025, according to the newest scenario.
There are many types of renewable energy sources. People have different opinions about them. Some people think they are the best thing ever, while others think they’re not as good as traditional energy sources. Here are the pros and cons of renewable energy sources to help you make up your own mind:
Pros of renewable energy sources
- They’re environmentally friendly. Renewable energy doesn’t produce pollution like traditional forms of energy, like coal and oil.
- They’re sustainable. Renewable energy sources like solar and wind power can be used over and over again, so we won’t run out of them as we might with traditional forms of energy.
Cons of renewable energy sources
- They can be unreliable. The sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow, so sometimes renewable energy sources aren’t available when we need them.
- They require a lot of space. Some renewable energy sources, like solar panels and wind turbines, require a lot of space to set up. This might not be a problem for some areas, but it could be an issue for others with limited land.
Conflict creates complexity
The current vulnerable and volatile energy market has made the transition to renewables a priority for many countries. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said that the war in Ukraine will be a factor in a quicker transition to renewable energy. This is because renewable energy is seen as being more secure and stable than traditional forms of energy.
Renewables are becoming more affordable and accessible, which is why they are becoming more popular worldwide. In addition to the security benefits, renewables also have environmental benefits. They can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
Many countries are investing in renewables, and this is likely to continue in the years ahead. The IEA has said that renewables will make up 30 percent of global energy by 2030. This is good news for the environment and for global security. The current shift to environmental-friendly sources has not, as popular belief suggests, largely influenced the recent price hikes. Though they will still provide more than half of the world’s energy by 2050, fossil fuels are slowly being phased out. The latest scenario predicts that global emissions would reach their highest point in 2025.
Photo credit: The feature image has been provided by the UN Climate Change conference as part of a press release. The statistics graphic in the body of the article has been done by Statista.
