Carbon emissions and global warming
“Understanding the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) is crucial to grasping the energy transition. Burning fossil fuels – coal, oil and natural gas – accounts for nearly 90% of total CO₂ emissions,” explains Widerberg. “CO₂ leads to global warming. Agriculture and deforestation of tropical rainforests also contribute to CO₂ emissions.
“Burning fossil fuels doesn’t just release carbon dioxide; it also produces nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which cause air pollution. You can view real-time air pollution levels on this air pollution map.”
Natural versus enhanced greenhouse effect
“Greenhouse gases trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere: this natural greenhouse effect is an essential and normal part of our climate system. However, human activities are also warming the planet. Over the past 140 years, this warming has accelerated. This additional warming – the enhanced greenhouse effect – is what’s driving climate change.”
The energy transition explained
“We need to drastically reduce our use of fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy sources. Renewable energy comes from natural sources that are continuously replenished, such as wind, hydropower, solar, geothermal energy, ambient heat and biomass. It’s also referred to as sustainable or green energy.
“Nuclear energy, like fossil fuels, is not a form of renewable energy because its sources are not replenished. Replacing fossil fuels with sustainable energy represents a significant shift. This is what we mean by the energy transition.”
Why the energy transition needs to happen now
“The energy transition needs to happen quickly. We’re currently on course for a global temperature rise of 2.5°C to 2.9°C. This falls far short of the targets set in the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to between 1.5°C and 2°C. A 1.5°C increase is strongly preferable, as the environmental, social and economic consequences of a 2°C rise would be significantly worse.
“Reducing carbon emissions can be approached in different ways,” says climate expert Widerberg. “First and foremost, it’s a technological challenge. We need to capture CO₂ and harness wind energy – take offshore wind turbines, for example. All of this requires technological innovation.”
Socio-economic impact of the energy transition
In addition to technology, the social aspects of the energy transition are becoming increasingly important, according to Widerberg. “The socio-economic impacts of the energy transition are not evenly distributed across society. Currently, wealthier people benefit most from technological innovations, while poorer people benefit far less. You can see this in Amsterdam: poorer neighbourhoods have too few solar panels, and many homes are poorly insulated, resulting in high energy bills.”
