Energy requirements and carbon emissions for a low-carbon energy transition

Abstract Achieving the Paris Agreement will require massive deployment of low-carbon energy. However, constructing, operating, and maintaining a low-carbon energy system will itself require energy, with much of it derived from fossil fuels. This raises the concern that the transition may consume much of the energy available to society, and be a source of considerable emissions. Here we calculate the energy requirements and emissions associated with the global energy system in fourteen mitigation pathways compatible with 1.5 °C of warming. We find that the initial push for a transition is likely to cause a 10–34% decline in net energy available to society. Moreover, we find that the carbon emissions associated…

• “C
  “la Caixa” Foundation

  Awards: 100010434, ID 100010434
• MD
  Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

  Awards: CEX2019-000940-M, 100010434, CEX2019, 000940-M, ID 100010434