Energy Transition

By 2050 the number of people on the planet is forecast to grow to 9 billion - that’s nearly 2 billion more of us than today. Experts agree that global energy demand is likely to double by 2050 compared to demand in the year 2000. At the same time, tackling climate change caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and other environmental stresses has never been more important. This is why we need both more and cleaner energy.

In 2015, governments took a great stride forward when they reached an agreement in Paris to tackle climate change by limiting the rise in global average temperatures this century to well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

In the UK, Shell provided input to the Committee for Climate Change’s 2019 Report which recommended that net zero emissions should be achieved in the UK by 2050. The Government has subsequently accepted this recommendation and, on 27 June 2019, it became law, making the UK the first G7 country to pass such a law.

Achieving this goal is possible but it will require unprecedented collaboration between Government, business and society.

Energy sources across industry and transport as well as in homes will need to transition to low-carbon options. But this will not and cannot happen overnight. The switch to lower carbon energy sources will require huge changes to existing infrastructure and will take time and significant investment.

We recognise the significance of climate change along with the role energy plays in helping people achieve and maintain a good quality of life. A key role for society – and for Shell – is to find ways to provide much more energy while limiting the amount of carbon dioxide produced.