Do you know the origin of the electricity you consume?

Climate change is one of the significant challenges today’s society is facing. According to the UN, in 10 years, carbon dioxide emissions will have to be reduced by up to 45% compared to 2010 levels to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The agreement, signed in 2016 within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), sets out a global framework to eliminate dangerous climate change by curbing global warming.

The challenge is titanic, and so is the effort that society and the productive sectors will have to undertake. Among them are energy companies, which are already moving towards green models. They are even guaranteeing to their clients that the origin of the energy they consume comes from sustainable sources. 

Leading the energy transition and decarbonization

In 2040, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that the global energy mix would change its structure. Renewables and natural gas (the latter already accounts for 71% of reserves) will have an even more prominent presence. Antonio Brufau, the President of Repsol, the global energy company, stated that all forms of decarbonization are complementary and valid. The incentive for all to contribute, without exclusions, will allow us to accelerate the path towards the energy transition. 

History has taught many lessons for current energy systems. 

In early industrial processes, the need for large amounts of firewood, combined with prohibitive costs for overland transportation, led to a lack of affordable wood. Britain then had to resort to coal after mainly running out of wood. This resulted in the fuel crisis that triggered a chain of events, culminating in the Industrial Revolution two centuries later. 

Therefore, the depletion of resources triggered technological renovation and a shift to new energy sources in the nineteenth century. 

The increase in temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions has forced the entire world to consider a transition capable of guaranteeing the planet’s sustainability. Energy must shift from fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, oil, and lignite, to cease emissions. The available sources for energy are solar power, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and marine energy.