Scale of Primary Global Energy by Fuel Consumption (2018)
Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019
CONTEXT:
Where we are after 30 years of climate advocacy and policy
Half of the world’s 7 billion people are currently living in energy poverty.
Fossil fuel use (coal, oil, gas) is larger now than at any time in world history, with energy use expected to double by 2050.
In 2019, global carbon emissions reached a record high.
While coal use is declining in the United States and Europe, that is not the case in most parts of the world. For example, coal continues to generate two-thirds of China's carbon pollution.
Also in 2019, natural gas was the planet’s fastest growing fossil fuel. While seen as a “bridge fuel” replacing coal in the US, throughout the rest of the world it is mainly providing new energy and not displacing coal at all.
Stanford University's 2019 Global Carbon Project
Energy Options Network's (EON) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to identify and accelerate Transformative Zero-Carbon Energy Solutions needed to deeply reduce future fossil fuel use. While we applaud the growth of all ‘climate scale’ zero carbon technologies, we believe that transformative solutions outside of today’s more mainstream portfolio (wind, PV, fossil CCS, conventional nuclear) will also be essential to achieve deep decarbonization by 2050.
Specifically, we:
EON does not engage in public policy itself, but its work informs and supports those who do.
Source: IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5C 2018
EON focuses on educating and advising key global actors able to tangibly help advance Transformative Zero-Carbon Energy Solutions. It is not focused on informing the general public.
Actors include innovative developers, global energy companies, governments committed to deep decarbonization, think tanks, philanthropists, investment entities, and policy-focused nonprofits.
EON continuously scans for promising opportunities and conducts in-depth technical and economic assessments of potential Transformative Zero-Carbon Energy Solutions, then uses that information to design acceleration plans.
EON engages relevant actors – from very early stage technology developers to very large existing players such as oil and gas majors. Activities include streamlining business models, identifying solutions to technical challenges, identifying potential markets, and making key strategic introductions.
Innovation is a term typically applied to technology, however EON believes that innovative thinking about energy system design, how a technology moves along the supply chain, and expanding markets is equally as important.
Why? Cost, reach, timeline. For a technology or entire sector to be plausible as a Transformative Zero-Carbon Energy Solutions it must be economically competitive with fossil fuels (without subsidies) within the next two decades or so.
