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Working to alter the energy path of our planet
is hard. Every year the International Energy Agency publishes the World Energy
Outlook — and the reality of our fossil-fuel addiction is evidenced by these
statistics. Last year global energy demand grew at 2.3%, its fastest pace
this decade, with coal and natural gas providing 70% of this growth.
 The projections for the coming
decades offer a bifurcated future to 2040.
The US, EU and Japan energy demand will
shrink from increased energy efficiencies. While the energy demand of the rest
of the world will skyrocket to meet their development goals. All people want
lighting, refrigeration, transportation and telecommunications — which require
energy. If done with fossil fuels, we will all feel the dire consequences of
enhanced climate change: stronger storms, increasing heat/droughts and sea
level rise.
Is this our fate
or can we change course? The Paris Agreement goals and Marrakech Climate
Action plans provided every nation with a renewable energy mandate and a
national action strategy. If we don’t change course now, we are likely
to end up where we are headed.
In Partnership for the Planet,
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