The author writes that although Europe’s energy situation in 2025 is being formed by decisions taken today, energy policy remains low on the political agenda with “remarkably little happening in term of concrete policy development or action on the ground”.
Bearing in mind that technological innovation in the energy sector takes a long time to reach the market, the author suggests that within a 20-year timeframe, policy innovation could be more important than technological innovation. By using existing technologies, the EU can meet its objectives of security of supply, reduced environmental impact and improved competitiveness today. But such a transition will not happen without “political courage and a readiness to challenge strong vested interests”.
The paper assumes that it is neither justified nor possible, in the long term, to maintain high living standards for only a minority of the world’s population at the expense of efforts to improve conditions for the majority. Thus, the author writes that although developing countries need to participate in the climate change challenge, it is those OECD countries with high per capita consumption rates or emissions that need to take the first step now.
He points out that even under the most optimistic of economic growth forecasts, it will be decades before China’s GDP, oil consumption or CO2 emissions per capita reach 20% of those in the US.
Henningsen concludes by saying that while technology can make a contribution to the climate change challenge, there is no doubt that there is already a vast range of existing techonologies at our disposal which can make a real difference.
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