Global energy consumption only going up

Since 2000, global energy consumption has increased by about a third and is projected to continue to grow in the foreseeable future.

Global energy demand grew by 2.9% in 2018 and in a business as usual scenario, by 2040 global energy consumption will reach 740 million terajoules - equivalent to an additional 30 percent growth.

From 2000 to 2040, this will amount to a 77 percent increase in global energy consumption.

From 1980 to 2050, global energy use could triple from around 300 to 900 million terajoules.

It's difficult to grasp the amount of energy consumed worldwide. To illustrate, the global annual energy consumption corresponds to the energy released from the Hiroshima nuclear bomb every four seconds. A Boeing 737 can cross the Atlantic Ocean on one terajoule.

Oil, coal, and gas still power the world

83 percent of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels. Oil is the biggest energy source followed by coal and natural gas.

This makes green energy innovation absolutely essential. For now, most of the increase in global energy consumption will be covered by burning more coal and gas. Tht's not good. It emits enourmous amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, 

The current energy supply mix contributes to global warming:

Renewable energy is on the rise but too slowly

Between 2011 and 2030 renewable energy is expected to grow from 2 to 6 percent of global primary energy use. The world must completely transform the global energy system. But this projected increase in the use of renewable energy is not even enough to cover the global increase in energy demand.

In 2018, energy from renewable sources grew by 14.5% but still accounted for only around a third of the total increase.

When even BP oil concludes that we are on an unsustainable path, there is reason to be concerned:

"There is a growing mismatch between societal demands for action on climate change and the actual pace of progress, with energy demand and carbon emissions growing at their fastest rate for years. The world is on an unsustainable path."

- Spencer Dale, BP chief economist, 2019.

It’s possible: Solar energy could power the world. Easily.

In six months the Earth absorbs the same amount of energy from the sun as obtained from all of the Earth's non-renewable resources (coal, oil, natural gas, and uranium) -  and this includes non-renewable sources not yet exploited!

In less than 80 minutes solar energy equivalent to total world energy use for a full year strikes Earth meaning that the sun could power the world almost 7000 times.