4. Emerging key sustainability transitions
Looking beyond the current disruption to the critical transitions needed according to the fifth Global Biodiversity Outlook, [8]
there is evidence
of sustainability transitions emerging in systems, including food production,[7] mobility [28]
energy generation,[27] and resource use. These transitions
build on social and political support, technological innovation, economies of scale and engaged entrepreneurs. They might lead rapidly to completely different, economically sustainable futures. Such changes bring shock and uncertainty but also great economic business opportunity for rebuilding nature and increasing well-being.
4.1 Transforming the world: it’s already happening, slowly
The ‘new energy’ transition is driven by an ever- intensifying focus on deep decarbonization, (see Section 6 for governments setting net zero emissions goals) and the exponential growth of renewables*** (Figure 6) that between them threaten current fossil fuel investments, future profits and existing business models as well as centralized control of energy systems. Some incumbents have leaned into this change with great success: Denmark’s Dong Energy, rebranded as Ørsted, [29]
Solar thermal
sold almost all of its fossil fuel interests and is now thriving as a sustainable energy
Figure 6: Global wind and solar installations
10 000 15 000 20 000 25 000 30 000
5 000
0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Coal
Oil Geothermal Natural gas Solar PV Biofuels Waste Solar thermal Wind Nuclear Tide Hydro Other sources
Data from
https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics?country=WORLD&fuel=Energy%20supply&indicator=ElecGenByFuel and
https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics?country=WORLD&fuel=Energy%20supply&indicator=RenewGenBySource
***
Major areas of policy intervention in energy systems, which relate to the SDGs (especially SDG 7) are decarbonization measures that aim to substitute fossil fuels with clean(er) or renewable alternatives (GEO-6)
1000 1500 2000
Adapt to Survive: Business transformation in a time of uncertainty 15
1000 1500 2000
500 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Geothermal Solar thermal
Solar PV Wind
Tide
business, on track to be carbon neutral in energy generation and operations by 2025. [30] as RWE and Eon [31]
have had to write off billions
of dollars and break up to separate stranded assets, mainly investments in coal and lignite, from cleaner parts of their business. Many major energy players are now rapidly shifting course. In August 2020, BP announced its plan to transform itself into an integrated energy company, investing US$5 billion per year in low carbon energy and raising its renewable generating capacity to 50
gigawatts by 2030, up from 2.5 gigawatts in 2019. [32]
Decades of social concern about waste, especially plastic pollution, have finally enabled a policy push to encourage business to move to circular economy models, new materials, designs and reduced packaging (Figure 7). The economic benefits of moving to a circular economy are also being realized (Figure 8). Set up in 2018, the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy now comprises 75 public, civic and private sector leaders and over 200 members. [33]
10 000 15 000 20 000 25 000 30 000
5 000 0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Coal
Oil Geothermal Natural gas Solar PV
by the World Resources Institute, the Platform is working to champion projects in key waste areas, such as textiles, plastics, food and electronic waste. Initiatives focused on plastic waste, including the
Supported Solar thermal
Biofuels Waste Wind
2016 20 Nuclear
Tide Companies in the value chain of natural gas are
looking to reposition gas as a transitional fuel with infrastructure that still remains relevant in a world of green hydrogen and biomethane.
Others such
H Other s
TWh Wh
TWh TWh
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24
