Time for a change: Rethinking the global renewable energy transition from the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement
Guanglei Yang, Donglan Zha, Dongqin Cao, Guoxing Zhang
Abstract
The concept of energy transition was initially proposed by the German Academy of Sciences in 1980, advocating for the abandonment of nuclear power and oil in response to the energy crisis. At that time, insufficient attention was given to the energy transition. From 1980 to 1992, the global economy experienced significant growth, with the gross domestic product doubling from 11.34 trillion dollars to 25.41 trillion dollars (data from the World Bank). The widespread consumption of fossil fuels resulted in excessive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to support this rapid economic expansion.
Topics & Concepts
Renewable energyClimate changeConsumption (sociology)Fossil fuelEnergy transitionEnergy consumptionPeak oilClimate change mitigationNatural resource economicsUnited Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeEconomicsEnvironmental impact of the energy industryEnergy developmentConference of the partiesGross domestic productEnergy policyKyoto ProtocolEconomic growthEngineeringEcologyAlternative medicinePathologyPanacea (medicine)Social scienceElectrical engineeringMedicineWaste managementBiologySociologyClimate Change and Health ImpactsAir Quality and Health ImpactsHealth, Environment, Cognitive Aging