As the world population is increasing and the standard of living is going up in most low and middle-income countries, so is the energy demand. The global energy consumption was 5,653 TWh (Terawatt hours) in the year 1800 which rose to 178,899 TWh in 2022 and is expected to reach 205,555 TWh in 2040, as stated in an article published in Our World in Data. Only around 17% of the energy consumed in 2022 was clean energy. Clean energy, which includes solar, wind, hydropower, and nuclear energy, is so named because in its production no greenhouse gas is emitted. Thus, 83% of globally consumed energy in 2022 came from fossil fuels: oil, coal, and natural gas. As we burn fossil fuels directly for heating, cooking, or running transport vehicles or convert them to electricity we add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The world is now confronting climate change and the only way to control the situation is to reduce energy consumption and shift to clean energy.
The developed countries are consuming much more energy than the developing countries. Based on the data published by the US Energy Information Administration, the following chart illustrates the per capita energy consumption (kWh/person) of G7 nations compared to Bangladesh and India in 2022. The difference is overwhelming.
During the last two decades, industrialized nations have marginally reduced per capita energy consumption but the trend for developing countries is the opposite. Thus, cutting back on energy consumption is a far cry.
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This article was published in the Daily Sun on January 20, 2024. Please read the full article here or here.