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エネルギー展望/EnErgy OutlOOk
Industrialisation and Growing Power Demand
informed one, it is worth looking at energy policies in the in the world will simply accelerate relative economic
harsh light of this particular slice of reality. The EU has a decline while making little difference to atmospheric carbon
current target for a 20% reduction in emissions (against dioxide levels.
a 1990 baseline) by 2020 which would probably put it
on course to make its contribution to the 10% reduction As fossil fuels dominate energy supplies over the next
in OECD emissions by 2030 envisaged in the BP few decades, the continuing evolution of climate systems
report. However, in a world where non-OECD countries and improvements in scientific knowledge should help
continue to increase their emissions and contribute to an us finally understand what the real drivers of climate
increasingly dominant share, the chances of significantly are. A more capable society will then be able to decide
decarbonizing the world economy by mid-century look how to adapt or possibly influence weather patterns at
remote. least at regional levels. Until then, we need to break
the spiral of investment in unnecessarily expensive
Since Europe will become a less important player in a and ineffective climate change mitigation policies and
world dominated by China among other large emerging focus on developing better means of energy generation
economies and the USA, politicians need to face up to and use.
the question of whether current climate change policy is
relevant. Subsidizing inefficient energy technologies in
Europe in the absence of radical policy changes elsewhere Got a question ? Please scan QR code on page 61
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