Global energy production can be climate neutral by 2050. However, drastic measures are necessary for this, says the International Energy Agency.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is in favor of a worldwide sales ban for cars with internal combustion engines from 2035. The requirement is part of the now published Roadmap 2050, which is intended to show the way to an emission-free future. The 400 or so proposed steps also include an immediate halt to investments in the development of new oil and gas fields and the construction of new coal-fired power plants. In addition, the energy sector should achieve net zero CO2040 emissions from 2.
The IEA, which is affiliated to the OECD, is traditionally considered to be more oriented towards fossil fuels, but has long been in favor of more ambitious climate protection. The study that has now been published intensifies the previous positions further. It also serves as preparation for the UN world climate conference in Glasgow in the autumn. The energy experts see the fight against global warming as perhaps the greatest challenge facing mankind to date. The possibility of a climate-neutral energy sector exists, but requires an unprecedented transformation. Away from fossil fuels to renewable energies and climate protection innovations.
According to the experts, the end of the petroleum age had already dawned before the outbreak of the corona pandemic. Global consumption will never again reach the level of 2019, according to the forecast it will decrease by around three quarters by 2050. Accordingly, natural gas consumption peaked towards the end of the decade and then also fell. Against this background, according to the experts, investing in fossil fuels is no longer worthwhile. In the opinion of the IEA, renewable energies must be expanded to compensate. Nuclear power also plays a small role in reducing emissions. In addition, the development of new technologies is necessary, such as better batteries and more efficient CO2 storage.