At-a-Glance:
The energy transition is accelerating. In 2020, renewables outpaced fossil fuels in Europe for the first time. According to the latest research from McKinsey, demand for fossil fuels will never return to pre-pandemic levels. To learn more, read “McKinsey: Low Cost Renewables Will Outcompete Fossil Assets By 2030.” Reading this article may require a subscription.
Key Takeaways:
- McKinsey’s 2021 Global Energy Perspective Report predicts that fossil fuel demand is set to peak globally by 2029 and that by 2036, half of the global power supply will be generated by intermittent renewable energy sources.
- While an earlier peak in hydrocarbon demand means a substantial reduction in forecasted carbon emissions, the world remains significantly off the 1.5°C pathway and will run out of its carbon budget for 2100 in the early 2030s.
- Many pandemic related recovery packages are providing significant support to the hydrocarbon industry. The 2020 Climate Transparency Report said that by mid-October 2020, G20 countries had spent nearly $400 billion on support for the energy sector – with 53.5% going to the fossil fuel sector.
- McKinsey’s Christer Tryggestad concludes: “According to our estimates, annual emissions would need to be around 50 percent lower in 2030 and about 85 percent lower by 2050 than current trends predict to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C.”
Path to 100% Perspective:
The shift toward renewable energy sources over fossil fuels appears to be the way forward. Governments around the world will need to use this shift as motivation to put policies in place that encourage greater investment in renewable energy. There is a tremendous opportunity in this moment for G20 countries, which are responsible for around 75% of global emissions, to rethink their energy investments and bank on low-cost renewables to meet net-zero targets and pave the way for a 100% renewable energy future.
Photo by Jose G. Ortega Castro on Unsplash