energy transition

Latin America dominates global production, with Chile and Peru accounting for a major share of worldwide supply. Global copper demand is projected to rise from around 26 million tonnes in 2024 to over 35 million tonnes by 2035, driven by electrification and renewable infrastructure expansion. Latin America has become one of the most strategically important mining regions in the world, playing a central role in the global shift toward clean energy and electrification. In 2026, the continent stands at the heart of the energy transition, supplying essential materials such as lithium, copper, nickel, and other critical raw minerals needed for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and advanced technologies.

What is the sustainable energy transition and why is it key to tackling climate change?

This shift is critical to tackling the climate crisis, as fossil fuels still provide 80 percent of global energy supply, releasing immense amounts of planet-warming gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, in the process. At its core, the sustainable energy transition seeks to transform the global energy system to combat climate change while fostering sustainable development. It involves not only adopting cleaner energy sources but also enhancing energy efficiency, deploying advanced technologies like energy storage, and decarbonizing key sectors such as electricity, transportation and industry.

Energy transition at a crossorads

Chevron is on track to make windfall profits from the Iran war of $9.2 billion, according to the analysis. The company’s chief executive, Mike Wirth, has also benefited, selling $104 million worth of Chevron shares between January and March. A utility-scale solar field opened in 2023 with a 192-megawatt capacity, while limited reforms have enabled easier installation of photovoltaics on homes and public buildings. Despite technological progress and the availability of cheaper solar hardware, the total number of villages and subdistricts reporting solar power use among households declined from 4,176 in 2021 to 3,076 in 2024, a reduction of 26.4 per cent. Renewable energy uptake has yet to gather momentum across Indonesia’s more than 84,000 villages, a new report concludes, as the government of the world’s fourth-largest country pledges to achieve a radical energy transformation over the next decade.

Colombia faces tension between its economy and climate goals

Our mission is environmental; our method is economic, aligning policy, finance, and industrial capability to deliver impact at scale. Demonstrate technologies accelerating the low-carbon transition to investors and buyers. The barriers that make participation more difficult also deserve serious attention. Financial stress, other obligations, or simply a lack of time can all limit people’s ability to get involved—and these are all valid reasons. At the same time, this underscores how strongly participation depends on context, emerging from the interplay between different actors and circumstances.

Irish Times Products & Services

  • Cities stand ready to be recognised as full partners and to work alongside EU and national governments to protect citizens, reduce the social impact of rising energy costs, and accelerate a sustainable, inclusive path towards climate neutrality.
  • Vélez said the meeting would serve as a “political space” to open debate on fossil fuel phaseout – a topic that has long proven difficult in formal international negotiations – rather than a forum for binding agreements.
  • While the scope and duration of these measures varied, they helped normalise energy efficiency and sufficiency as core elements of local climate and energy strategies, rather than temporary austerity responses.
  • Our expert coverage assesses pathways for the power, transport, industry, buildings and agriculture sectors to adapt to the energy transition.
  • Chile’s stable mining framework and long production history make it a cornerstone of the global energy storage economy.
  • Empowering the workforce for the electric and digital economy and developing future-ready skills at every level.

Participation manifests in diverse forms, including resistance, which can represent agency and empowerment rather than mere opposition. Effective engagement requires flexible, context-sensitive approaches that acknowledge varied community needs and shared responsibilities, rather than imposing uniform, top-down models. In neighborhoods participating in the Dutch government’s natural gas phase-out program—often pilot projects in more vulnerable areas—tenants, homeowners, and residents’ associations live side by side, each with their own interests and starting points. “Li Auto contributes to the energy transition through both extended-range electric (EREV) and pure electric (BEV) technologies. Our EREV technology acts as a bridge between traditional vehicles and fully electric mobility. This allows users to enjoy the core benefits of electric mobility without changing their lifestyle,” Wu said.

energy transition

Electrification powered by clean energy is the most effective pathway to decarbonize some of these areas. For example, renewable-powered electric vehicles can replace gasoline-powered cars, heat pumps can provide energy-efficient heating and cooling for buildings, and induction cooktops offer cleaner alternatives to biomass and gas stoves. Scaling up renewable energy productionDecarbonizing the energy sector by rapidly scaling up renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydropower is critical – not just for cutting emissions but also for expanding energy access in underserved communities. Currently, renewable energy is the cheapest option for new electricity in almost every country in the world.

energy transition

energy transition

London and New York, January 26, 2026 – BloombergNEF’s (BNEF) annual Energy Transition Investment Trends (ETIT) finds that global investment into the energy transition hit a record $2.3 trillion in 2025, up 8% from the prior year. The largest investment drivers were electrified transport ($893 billion), renewable energy ($690 billion), and grid investment ($483 billion). Renewable energy investment fell 9.5% year-on-year however as changing power market regulations in China, the world’s largest market, introduced new uncertainty. All other sectors tracked by BNEF saw a rise in their investment levels, with the exception of hydrogen ($7.3 billion) and nuclear ($36 billion).

  • In Spain, for example, where solar, wind, and hydroelectric power feature more prominently than in other European countries, electricity costs have remained relatively low.
  • This approach will enable you to understand the technical, economic, and strategic levers required to lead innovative projects at the heart of the energy transition.
  • Gas prices in Europe have increased by around 10 percent, and the region is facing a jet fuel shortage and concerns about the flow of liquid natural gas (LNG).
  • Heating schedules were tightened, with systems switched off at night and during weekends.
  • Peru is the world’s second-largest copper producer, contributing about 10% of global supply.
  • Oil and gas supplies will take months to return to pre-war levels and the companies will make $234 billion by the end of the year if the oil price continues to average $100.

It is not solely the responsibility of citizens, but a shared responsibility. “We really need to rethink how we view citizen participation. It shouldn’t be treated as a tool or a checklist, but as a practice that reflects how we relate to one another,” Kluskens concludes. By treating citizen participation as something to be organized or created, citizens are effectively positioned outside the system—when in fact they are already an intrinsic part of it. “If you keep seeing them as external, your perspective is too narrow, and you miss what participation really means.”

  • Both supporting organizations (IFPEN and CEA) have their own research and development roadmap in this area.
  • Citizen participation in energy transitions is often treated as a procedural requirement rather than recognizing citizens as integral system actors.
  • EVs convert roughly 90% of stored energy into movement, according to the U.S.
  • The report finds that clean energy supply investment also outpaced fossil fuel supply for a second consecutive year in 2025, with the gap widening to $102 billion from $85 billion in 2024.
  • The closed Strait of Hormuz, as well as export bans of refined fuel products from countries like China and South Korea, have cut off petrol supplies in Asia.

Financial de-risking tools are necessary for addressing risk factors such as inflation, political risks, expropriation, currency fluctuations, and underdeveloped capital markets that are characteristic of transitioning regions. One effective approach is blended finance, which enhances investment risk-return profiles by combining public and private capital through mechanisms like concessional finance, sovereign guarantees, and political risk assurances. Current pledges, including the COP28 commitments, could cut emissions by 3 percent by 2030 and 51 percent by 2050 compared to 2022 levels. At this rate, global energy-related emissions would reach 35.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (GtCO2) in 2030 – far above the 23 GtCO2 required to keep the world on a 1.5°C pathway. While this represents some progress, it falls well short of what is needed to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. The current energy system is a major driver of global climate change, accounting for around 75 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy Minister orders GRIDCo CEO to step aside pending probe into Akosombo substation fire

This goal, which over 130 countries committed to last year, is necessary to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement. Beyond 1.5 degrees, we start to see increasingly catastrophic consequences for humanity and the ecosystems we rely on. The Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) acts as the central link in Ghana’s energy value chain by operating and maintaining the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS). It transmits power from generators to distributors (ECG/NEDCo) and large customers, facilitating a safe, reliable electricity supply across Ghana.

Sheltering From Oil Shocks

This integrated approach ensures that the transition remains inclusive and economically viable. The decision highlights the urgency to accelerate global efforts towards a net-zero emission energy system, one that produces little or no carbon emissions from fossil fuels and https://24thainews.com/housing-and-utilities-fund-to-switch-to.html industrial processes, before 2050. However, beyond being a technological shift, this transition is a transformative process that prioritizes equity, inclusion and human development.

Concerted action and international co-operation are therefore essential for timely progress. Therefore, the sustainable energy transition not only delivers environmental benefits but also drives innovation, creates jobs and reduces energy poverty. The program offers a work-study format, ideal for strengthening your skills in energy management while gaining experience within companies in the sector. This professional immersion allows you to work on real projects, build credibility, and accelerate your entry into careers related to the energy transition.