Energy Transition: The Corner Stone of Sustainable Development

Energy Transition: The Corner Stone of Sustainable Development

Fossil fuels were the backbone of the first three industrial revolutions, as many inventions, discoveries, and new industrial methods allowed fossil fuels to become the primary energy source in most fields, resulting in a century of unprecedented progress and development in human history.

Despite the importance of fossil fuels in the growth and improvement of our lives, experts have been studying the consequences of using various fossil fuels and investigating how this might harm the ecosystem and its natural equilibrium, to shed light on the negative aspects of fossil fuel consumption, and to increase awareness, particularly in recent years, concerning what is now known as the “Energy Transition”.

The energy transition entails shifting from reliance on fossil fuels as a primary energy source to more sustainable, environmentally friendly alternatives such as solar and wind energy and green hydrogen, biomass, and others.

In this issue’s special feature, “Energy Transition: The Corner Stone of Sustainable Development”, we address the concept of energy transformation, its definition, positive and negative effects, and how we may accomplish it. But first, and before discussing these points, we briefly introduce the history of fossil fuels and how they affected our planet due to increased reliance on them as the primary energy source.

The September edition of “Earth Guards” magazine arrives only a few weeks before the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai “COP28”. This was sufficient grounds for us to select “Energy Transition” as the topic of our featured article, as many people expect this global summit to result in a binding agreement for all parties to phase out fossil fuels progressively, despite the fact that some regard this agreement as a fairytale.

This year’s COP comes at a time of severe disparity in opinions and strategies, with a conflict of interests between the fossil fuel supporters’ campaign on the one hand and the nations most affected by climate change on the other.

We believe that this article provided a larger and more precise picture of the energy transition to all of our readers, allowing them to understand the current global energy system while considering the crises that our world is experiencing, the most recent of which was the Russian-Ukrainian war.

What are fossil fuels?

Fossil fuel, as the name suggests, is the fuel that was formed in the layers of the earth because of the accumulation of the organisms’  remains, including animals and plants (fossils). Over the ages, and due to pressure, temperature, and the absence of oxygen, these residues decomposed chemically and biologically into hydrocarbon compounds (consisting mainly of carbon and hydrogen), which can be combusted to generate energy.

Fossil fuels exist in three forms of matter: solid in coal, gaseous in natural gas, and liquid in oil. Each country has its share—whether in type or quantity—of fossil fuel reserves, and over time, with the increase in drilling and exploration work, some countries emerged as the leading fossil fuel producers, in parallel with increased global demand for these fuels.

Contrary to what many might imagine, the use of fossil fuels began centuries ago, when man used coal as a source of heating and energy in many civilizations. Still, the heavy reliance on fossil fuels did not begin, perhaps, until the nineteenth century, coinciding with the great (Significant) development that the world witnessed in all industries and services during the first and second industrial revolutions.

Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources and are responsible for more than 80% of total energy use globally, the hydrocarbon derivatives produced from fossil fuels are used in many vital industries such as the fertilizer industry, the plastics industry, and many others.

This heavy reliance on fossil fuels is because they are always available. Whether coal, oil, or gas, fossil fuels represent a practical and easy source for obtaining the energy needed for various uses, from jet and vehicle fuel to lighting and heating homes. This made fossil fuels the go-to option over the past two centuries, leading to huge development and growth of our civilization.

Fossil fuels are also characterized by their high heat content compared to other fuel types. Heat content means the energy that can be obtained from burning one kilogram of fuel. It is also burned very efficiently in most cases, and in addition to the supply chains of fossil fuels that have become faster and stronger than ever.

Based on the preceding, we might conclude that humanity has fallen victim to the trap of fossil fuels. Despite all efforts to find renewable and environmentally friendly alternatives, fossil fuels remain the most reliable and widely used energy source. However, in recent decades, voices have grown louder, warning about the devastating environmental effects of total reliance on fossil fuels. At the same time, international efforts are being exerted to achieve sustainable development goals.

Why does the environment hate fossil fuels?

When fossil fuels are burned to obtain energy, large amounts of gases are released, the most dangerous of which is carbon dioxide, which represents the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions into the air. These gases act as a blanket that covers our atmosphere, causing what is known as global warming, which causes the Earth’s temperature to rise above normal levels in the phenomenon of “climate change.”

To simplify the term climate change and how it occurs, we need to understand that the sun emits a continuous stream of short-wave ultraviolet radiation that finds its way into the Earth’s atmosphere, but clouds and atmospheric gases can reflect a small percentage of these rays into space, while the rest penetrate the atmosphere and reach the Earth’s surface, where they are absorbed. It is then re-emitted by the Earth as long-wave radiation (infrared).

On its way to space, this infrared radiation finds a barrier composed of GHG particles in the lower atmosphere, where these particles absorb infrared waves and re-emit them randomly, meaning that a large part of infrared radiation bounces back to Earth instead of escaping to outer space. Hence, the more greenhouse gases there are, the more long-wave radiation is trapped and the warmer our planet becomes.

However, some may wonder why these greenhouse gases do not escape from the lower atmosphere (troposphere), as other gases such as oxygen and nitrogen do, where the latter can migrate to the upper layers of the atmosphere and finally escape into space. The reason is that because GHG particles have larger molecular weights, they are held by the force of Earth’s gravity and can only escape at meager rates, causing them to accumulate in the atmosphere over time.

In this context, and considering that fossil fuels are the primary and largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, we can understand why the environment hates fossil fuels.

The direct contribution of fossil fuels to climate change necessarily means their responsibility for many natural severe disasters, such as sea level rise, drought, wildfires, land degradation, loss of natural habitats, and many others.

To put the above in numbers, the main types of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) are by far the largest contributors to global climate change, as their combustion results in more than 75% of global emissions of greenhouse gases, and they are also responsible for the release of up to 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions, according to United Nations statistics.

Therefore, we will not exaggerate when we say that fossil fuels are the main cause of the environmental and climatic distress experienced by the planet in recent decades, and their phase-out is an urgent need to preserve our ecosystems and ensure the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

The other aspect that many overlook when discussing the harmful effects of fossil fuels on the environment is the process of extracting them. Just as the burning of them releases greenhouse gases, the process of extracting those fuels represents a serious environmental problem.

The recent past has witnessed many disasters resulting from oil extraction operations, some of which are still fresh in our minds. Who forgot the “Deepwater Horizon,” which led to an environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Many consider this the most prominent oil extraction accident in the last two decades.

Drilling may also disturb ecosystems, both onshore and offshore, as the techniques used to drill for oil and gas on the ocean floor often harm fish and marine life. On the other hand, drilling for oil on land usually requires clearing the operation area of its vegetation.

Clean and renewable energy

As previously stated, the growing awareness of the serious consequences of continued reliance on fossil fuels and their devastating environmental effects has allowed many types of clean energy to be considered as an alternative to fossil fuels, the most well-known of which are solar energy and wind power.

Clean energy comes in many forms, but they all share one thing: “Their environmental impacts are less severe than those of fossil fuels.” Solar energy, wind power, green hydrogen, and biofuel have emerged as key factors in the global plans to achieve the “Energy Transition”.

Clean and renewable energy sources have the potential to secure all of our energy needs in various sectors and industries either by generating electricity or by the clean burning of green fuel, thus significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide, and reducing global warming.

Clean and renewable energy sources present themselves as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, and we discuss below the most essential types of those sources.

1. Solar energy

The idea of using solar energy is to convert solar radiation into electricity that can be stored and utilized by solar energy panels. This technology has received much attention, research, and development over the past two decades.

The advantages of solar energy include the low need for maintenance, the versatility of uses and applications, and the absence of the need for any other type of energy to operate the stations.

It’s not all perfect, though; solar energy has significant disadvantages, such as the high capital cost and the need for large land areas to operate large-scale stations.

Solar energy also has a negative environmental impact related to manufacturing solar cells; add to this the limited recycling options for these cells.

2. Wind Power

Wind power depends on converting kinetic energy into electricity, made possible using windmills. These mills exploit the atmospheric air that flows at high speeds to move their blades; those blades are connected to a generator that produces energy.

Wind power is considered one of the most promising and cleanest types of renewable energy, and it does not require large areas of land like solar energy.

However, on the other hand, windmills can pose a danger to some species of migratory birds, in addition to the noise pollution resulting from their operation. Not to mention the high construction costs and the reliance on wind to generate energy, “no wind, no energy.”

3. Geothermal energy

Geothermal energy is one of the clean and renewable sources that relies on thermal energy in the earth’s crust, hence the name. Geothermal energy systems can be operated using the earth’s heat to generate steam. This steam rotates a turbine that is connected to a generator.

Geothermal energy is a renewable and promising source that has the potential to cover all of our planet’s energy needs for thousands of years to come. However, like anything else, it carries a set of disadvantages, the most prominent of which is location-specific stations, as not all areas of the Earth are suitable for generating this type of energy.

Additionally, drilling operations release many trapped underground gases and could trigger earthquakes. Finally, geothermal energy requires a massive investment in capital costs.

4. Bioenergy

Bioenergy is the energy generated or produced from biomass; biomass means all organic materials that have stored solar energy in chemical energy.

Examples of biomass are wood and some crops, including soybeans, sugar cane, agricultural waste, livestock manure, and other forms that could generate energy. These biomasses can also be converted into other forms of energy, such as methane and biodiesel.

Bioenergy, also called biofuels, is one of the primary renewable energy sources. However, it threatens the agricultural area due to constant growing specific types of crops, which may lead to soil degradation.

Bioenergy could also threaten global food security due to its dependence on some crops, such as corn and soybeans, for energy generation. It also has a significant environmental footprint due to consuming large amounts of water and fertilizers.

5. Hydropower

This type of energy is generated by using the kinetic energy of water flow in different streams to spin the blades of a turbine connected to an electrical generator.

The prime example is the dams built on rivers, which are usually utilized to generate electricity using the kinetic energy of water flow.

Hydropower can also be generated by exploiting the potential energy of water, where water is raised using pumps to a certain level and then left to fall onto turbines connected to electric generators.

The obstacle to increasing reliance on hydropower lies in the large capital cost and not all water sources are suitable for hydropower generation.

6. Green hydrogen

Green hydrogen is gaining much interest these days thanks to its exceptionally clean burning, which only yields water vapor and oxygen so that it can serve as a pure energy source.

Continuous research and development have made it possible to produce green hydrogen from sources like seawater. This might be an unending source of eco-friendly energy for diverse uses.

The current barrier to using green hydrogen is that its production process requires a significant amount of energy, and the electrolysis cells used to produce hydrogen from water currently have a limited capacity and need more efficiency.

Negative impact of the energy transition

Renewable and clean energy sources enjoy global popularity as the ideal alternative to fossil fuels. This green reputation of renewable sources made most of us forget about the environmental impact that will result from the “energy transition”.

In this year’s January issue of Earth Guards Magazine, we highlighted a study published last November in “The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” to discuss the environmental impacts of the energy transition. That unique study highlighted that important and forgotten aspect.

We must realize that the energy transition will generate huge carbon emissions, as the construction of windmills, solar energy stations, and other new infrastructure consume energy, a large part of which will necessarily come from the fossil fuels we seek to phase out.

The good news is that if this new infrastructure for renewables can be put online quickly, the emissions from the energy transition process will drop dramatically, as generating more renewable energy early means much less fossil fuel will be used to support the energy transition.

Researchers estimate the energy transition will produce 185 billion tons of carbon dioxide by 2100. That alone is equivalent to five or six years of global emissions, a heavy burden on an already suffering atmosphere.

Furthermore, the researchers also pointed out that their estimates may be too low. This is because they need to consider the raw materials, the heavy machinery required for establishing the new electricity transmission lines, and the giant batteries that will be used to store electricity in the renewable energy stations.

In addition to the above, the environmental impact of replacing current gasoline and diesel vehicles with electric ones or making existing buildings more energy efficient has yet to be calculated, all of which consume resources and energy.

Therefore, it is difficult to determine all the negative impacts resulting from the energy transition, but as discussed above, it has a considerable negative effect.

It’s important to realize that relying on renewable energy requires a lot of resources and energy, which will consume huge quantities of minerals. Essential elements, including copper, iron, and nickel, will experience a much higher demand, in addition to rare elements previously less used, such as lithium, cobalt, yttrium, and neodymium.

Many of these raw materials will likely come from places with fragile environments not yet touched by humans, including the deep sea, African forests, and the rapidly dissolving Greenland. Additionally, solar panels and wind turbines will directly consume vast areas of land, with potentially negative impacts on ecosystems.

The process of green transformation (energy transition) may not be green in itself, despite the inevitability of energy transformation; to reduce emissions and limit global warming, however, slowly implementing this transformation will significantly impact the emissions generated during the different stages of the transition.

Therefore, it is very important to adopt policies that accelerate the green transition and study its environmental impacts in depth to better preserve the environment.

Challenges of the energy transition

As explained earlier, the most prominent renewable and clean energy types have drawbacks. These drawbacks represent a huge challenge to completely phasing out fossil fuels.

Between the high cost, technical limitations, and geographical and temporal factors, there is still a long way to go until it is possible to rely on renewable and clean energy fully.

The truth is that fossil fuels currently provide the cheapest options for meeting energy needs, especially the most polluting type, coal.

This is largely because the infrastructure for extracting, refining, processing, and transporting fossil fuels is developed in most countries that produce or use them. Therefore there is no need to provide considerable investments to create and develop this infrastructure, unlike renewable and clean energy alternatives that require huge investments to expand their newborn infrastructure.

In contrast to renewable energy, fossil fuels are always available and do not adhere to temporal or geographical boundaries. For example, the oil extracted in Saudi Arabia can be transported for use in China at any time. At the same time, the same cannot be said about solar energy or wind power, as their generation is linked to each place’s geographical nature and climatic conditions.

All the above issues for the energy transition may become forgotten over time, like many other technologies that appeared in the past, many of which began on a limited scale and faced many obstacles and challenges. Still, with research and development, these technologies have become a daily routine.

However, the biggest challenge that humanity is facing to achieve the energy transition is humans themselves.

To understand the current situation, it is worth noting that the fossil fuel industry is perhaps the largest industry on Earth, with investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

Over time, this industry developed some giant companies with economic and political influence, in addition to countries for whom fossil fuels represent the hen that lays golden eggs.

We must also be aware that the fossil fuel industry does not stop at just fulfilling energy demands for our world but also includes the manufacture of petrochemicals, plastics, fibers, textiles, rubber, fertilizers, and others, all of which are industries that rely entirely on fossil fuel as a raw material, not to mention as an energy source.

This reality has, over time, created regional and international organizations, companies, and pressure groups that support fossil fuels and defend them with full force.

These entities also have a huge presence and influence in global forums and summits, even those concerned with the environment, such as the “COP”, and thus they have become a key player in global decision-making, which explains why no binding agreement to phase out fossil fuels has been adopted to date.

In addition to the above, the giant industrial countries, such as America and China, responsible for huge chunk of greenhouse gas emissions, refuse to be parties to any binding agreement related to phasing out fossil fuels.

This direction of economic powers is mainly to ensure the prosperity of their industrial sectors in a way that achieves the national agenda of each country, and this certainly represents a major challenge, given the enormous political influence of these large industrial countries.

Therefore, balancing and blending fossil fuels with renewable and clean energy sources is pivotal to reaching a common ground to work together to set logical, measurable, and achievable goals.

Gradual and balanced transition

Energy transition is undoubtedly the cornerstone of sustainable development because of its wide-ranging impacts that can contribute to achieving the 17 sustainable development goals.

However, to achieve energy transition, we must understand that it will be a process that requires time and balanced steps; otherwise, energy transition could wind up being a fairytale that we only dream about.

The starting point here must arise from full awareness that fossil fuels currently exist, and we highly depend on them and this may remain the case for many decades to come.

The question here is: what can we do to reduce our addiction to fossil fuels in a way that considers practical, economic, political, and geographical aspects? Perhaps this is the question that we must all participate in answering.

The gradual and balanced energy transition while phasing out fossil fuels is only possible by adopting the four main guidelines stated by the United Nations as the key to achieving the energy transition.

1. Clean energy for everyone

Currently, renewable energy sources are viewed as an exclusive option for the rich, whether at the institutional or individual level. Therefore, we need to spread awareness and knowledge of everything related to renewable energy technologies and make this knowledge available to everyone while removing restrictions related to intellectual property rights.

If this is achieved, the basic technologies for energy storage units and battery manufacturing for renewable energy systems will become available to individuals and companies worldwide. Thus the industry will become smarter, more efficient, and more reliable.

2. Access to raw materials

Certainly, renewable energy technologies require large quantities of various raw materials, especially metals, as the latter represent a basic and necessary element to support renewable energy manufacturing, including solar panels, windmills, etc. Therefore, providing the necessary resources is crucial for our path to an energy transition.

However, not all countries have the raw materials needed for the renewable energy industry, so there is a fundamental need for coordination on a global level to distribute investments fairly in various countries to mine these raw materials legally and humanely.

Additionally, we must distribute financing for renewable energy infrastructure and support research, development, and training while building the necessary supply chains.

3. National Framework

Coordination between countries regarding the extraction of raw materials and the distribution of investments alone will not be enough without a local legislative framework in each country to encourage the renewable energy industry; otherwise, collective global efforts may not bear fruit in many countries.

Measures for local adoption of renewable energy include enacting legislation that speeds up and facilitates issuing permits for renewable energy projects, allocating the necessary land for these projects at competitive prices, and having a national time frame that sets goals for phasing out fossil fuels.

4. Providing financial support

All the above will have no meaning if there is insufficient support to accelerate the pace of the energy transition, especially when considering the support the fossil fuel industry has received and is still receiving.

According to statistics from the International Monetary Fund, fossil fuel subsidies reached approximately $5.9 trillion in 2020, either in the form of tax exemptions or new investments.

This huge support that the fossil fuel industry receives must be gradually shifted to renewable and clean energy, especially in the most vulnerable and poor communities around the world, as studies indicate that at least $4 trillion must be provided annually to support the energy transition until 2030 to achieve the goal of zero emissions by 2050.

The forgotten aspect here is that investing in the renewable energy industry is a double-impact investment. On the one hand, it contributes to meeting our basic energy needs instead of using fossil fuels. On the other hand, it contributes to reducing the environmental footprint of fossil fuels, costing the world more than  $4 trillion annually.

Energy transition in COP28

Last January, the UAE announced the appointment of Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, as President of “COP28”.

The irony here is that Al Jaber also holds the CEO position of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the country’s largest oil producer and the twelfth in the world. This decision has led to a global controversy, especially among climate activists.

But some might argue that such a decision may have been the missing piece of the puzzle in past climate summits, as the presidency of someone who is involved in securing current energy requirements from fossil fuels while having a future vision to phase them out is perhaps what could bring the world together to a historic agreement on phasing out fossil fuels, and only time will prove how true this theory is.

Statements over the past months by Al Jaber and officials in the UAE revealed a bolder strategy than before in dealing with the issue of climate change and reducing fossil fuels. This new strategy works to contain fossil fuel companies worldwide and deal with them as a key player in achieving the energy transition.

The idea here is that, as these companies are primarily responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, they will perhaps be best placed to develop practical and applicable solutions that work to reduce fossil fuels, while balancing environmental, economic, and developmental interests, thanks to their extensive experience and huge technical knowledge.

However, many would suggest that such a strategy is a gamble with unpredicted results, but what if this strategy succeeds? What if we could bring the fossil fuel loppy and the climate campaigns together as a global binding agreement for phasing out fossil fuels, with measurable goals within a specific time frame.

COP28 comes during a time of positive global movement thanks to what was achieved in Sharm El-Sheikh COP27 last November, after reaching a historic agreement regarding the “Loss and Damage Fund”. Now, all eyes are turning to Dubai, hoping for another landmark agreement to limit the use of fossil fuels.

Nevertheless, even if a miracle happened and we agreed to phasing out fossil fuels, many people involved in political and climate work would still be concerned about its “credibility.”

Let’s say that an agreement on phasing out fossil fuels was reached. The question remains: who will guarantee that all parties will implement this agreement?

Answering the previous question is very crucial, as in the near past, at the COP15 held in Copenhagen, rich countries pledged $100 billion to developing countries to finance climate action by 2020, a pledge that has not been fulfilled to date.

Featured article conclusion

In keeping with our tradition of debating and presenting the most important issues, we attempted in this featured article to shed light on one of the fundamental issues of sustainable development, namely “energy transition,” from an objective standpoint that recognizes both environmental and non-environmental dimensions.

We can never doubt that energy transformation is the most reliable weapon in our fight against climate change. Still, the limitations in every type of renewable and clean energy make energy transition an unsatisfactory answer, at least for now and until we can develop different types of clean energy to overcome its shortcomings. As a result, an energy transition must be part of the solution rather than being the solution.

Fossil fuels are not the only ones to blame here; just as they are the main cause of global warming, they were also, and still are, the main driving force of world growth over the past two centuries.

Therefore, plans to phase out fossil fuels must comprehensively recognize the positive impacts of fossil fuels before the negative ones. This is to ensure a smooth energy transition that achieves climate and development goals at the same time.

On the other hand, groups supporting fossil fuels, whether companies or governments, must realize that this type of fuel is non-renewable; in other words, it will run out one day, so searching for renewable options and relying on them gradually will ensure sustainable development for centuries to come.

All parties worldwide must be aware that the future is for renewable and clean energy, and working now to develop these sustainable technologies will have a profound impact on determining the map of the great powers of the future.

Confidently, whoever possesses the most advanced renewable energy technology will undoubtedly have a broader global impact, especially when considering the louder voices to phase out fossil fuels.

Achieving the energy transition requires cooperation at an international level, cooperation that recognizes the deeper effects of the use of fossil fuels, these effects that cross time and geographical boundaries.

Another thing that we shouldn’t overlook is that the energy transition carries several negative impacts that must be considered. This is to assess the environmental impact of this transition accurately and objectively to reduce these negative impacts as much as possible.

To summarize all of the above, we say that climate change is a reality, and dependence on fossil fuels is the main reason. If we do not act now with a sense of urgency, the future of this world will remain threatened and in doubt.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that fossil fuels have those who protect them, including companies and governments, who work with all their power to keep dependence on this industry as it is.

Therefore, at various levels, we must all work to protect our climate and environment. We must act now to preserve our planet and its ecosystems, and energy transition is how we all shall go, and only then will we become the “Earth Guards”.