Books on Energy Transition

Chapter 1

High energy consumption is the founding element of today's civilization, which began 200 years ago with the consumption of fossil fuels. This has led to a meteoric rise in demographics, quality of life and life expectancy, but also to unprecedented availability and consumption of goods. By 2023, over 80% of total energy demand will be based on fossil fuels, with order-of-magnitude differences in total consumption from country to country. While millions of people have little or no access to energy, the impact of global resource consumption on the planet profoundly affects the way the planet functions. Human activities affect climate, biodiversity, the water cycle, soil fertility, forests and many other indicators.

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Keywords: Energy consumption, fossil fuels, economic activities, GDP, demographics, planetary boundaries, ecological services, 

Chapter 2

The planet's climate has changed radically many times over the last few billion years, each time bringing about drastic changes in the way the planet functions, but this is the first time these changes have occurred in an extremely short space of time. The main reasons for these changes are greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, livestock farming, intensive agriculture and the over-consumption of resources. The greenhouse effect is a normal phenomenon that has enabled life to develop on the planet as we know it today. However, too great an increase in greenhouse gases directly affects the planet's overall climate.  The challenge facing humanity today is to urgently find ways to halt emissions and capture and store as much as possible of the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere, while continuing to provide the energy we need. 

Keywords: Climate, Greenhouse gases, GHG sources, CO2 , Carbon cycle, Decarbonization

Chapter 3

The solutions for decarbonizing our energy supply and our economy in general are numerous. They include phasing out the use of fossil fuels, capturing and storing CO2 before it reaches the atmosphere, capturing and storing CO2 already in the atmosphere, improving energy efficiency and avoiding energy waste. We also need to switch to low-carbon energy sources, such as renewables and nuclear power. All these solutions have a role to play, and the proportion of each type of energy depends on local conditions (there is no one-size-fits-all solution). It is also essential that the economic, social and environmental impacts of each of these solutions be analyzed from a life-cycle perspective, to avoid today's solutions becoming tomorrow's problems. Natural solutions such as tree planting and ecosystem restoration have a fundamental role to play, and massive investment in them is urgently required. Finally, the implementation of the circular economy, the promotion of sobriety and the adoption of a new way of life (low-carbon mobility, less meat-based diets, reduced consumption, etc.) are all essential.

Keywords: Energy supply, renewable energies, nuclear, solar, wind, biomass, natural climate solutions, carbon capture, CCUS, energy efficiency, consumer lifestyles.

Chapter 4

Without a radical change in our energy mix, and in the way we produce, consume and live, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts will explode. While energy efficiency and sobriety are essential levers of action for wealthy countries (50% of global emissions are generated by 10% of the population, or 750 million people [2]), they are inadequate for 90% of the world's population, who aspire to a better quality of life. The energy and ecological transition is an inescapable reality, but it must above all be egalitarian, with better distribution and management of energy and natural resources.  To achieve this transition, Western countries can tighten their belts, but this will not be enough to compensate for growing needs. We therefore need innovation and investment more than ever. Finance has a key role to play.

Key words: Energy mix, equitable transition, innovation, green finance