CO₂: 85% of World’s Emissions Come from Energy Sector
Despite all efforts, less than 10% of low-emission technologies have been commissioned globally
The world needs more and more energy, but energy production and consumption accounts for more than 85% of global greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Researchers from the multinational consulting firm McKinsey & Company have come to the following conclusion: a recent study identifies fossil fuels as the main culprit for high CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
Energy production in the world has undergone a profound transformation since the onset of industrialization. Initially, around the year 1800, most of the world’s energy needs were met using wood. Subsequently, fossil energy sources, such as coal, oil, and gas, have gradually replaced bioenergy, which has had a very strong impact on the natural environment.
So far, humanity has only managed to deploy “a tenth of the low-emission technologies,” making it necessary to “accelerate the energy transition to meet climate goals by 2050.”
According to McKinsey & Company analysts, “radical change in the global energy system is needed to achieve the goals set by the Paris climate agreement.” However, the energy transition is still in its infancy: very often there is no real political will, and funds intended to combat climate change are wasted in wars and conflicts of various types.
In December 2023, at the UN’s international climate conference in Dubai, COP 28 representatives from nearly 200 countries agreed to begin reducing global fossil fuel consumption. The goal is to “avoid the worst effects of climate change.” The agreement, reached in Dubai after two weeks of hard-fought negotiations, aims to send a strong message to investors and politicians: the world is now united in its desire to divest from fossil fuels, which scientists say are the last hope of avoiding climate catastrophe.
