page_title: Energy transition
section_title: Reasons for a fast energy transition
hierarchical_section_title: Energy transition / Reasons for a fast energy transition
caption_attribution_description: English: The first 6 of 12 brief lessons on Europe's energy transition
context_page_description: Energy transition is a phrase that generally refers to significant structural change in an energy system
  . Historically, these changes have been driven by the demand for and availability of different fuels. The current transition to renewable energy, and perhaps other types of sustainable energy, differs as it is largely driven by a recognition that global carbon emissions must be brought to zero, and since fossil fuels are the largest single source of carbon emissions, we must change energy systems worldwide to replace fossil fuels.
  An example of transition toward sustainable energy, is the shift by Germany and Switzerland, to decentralised renewable energy, and energy efficiency. Although so far these shifts have been replacing nuclear energy, their declared goal 2012 was the abolishment of coal, reducing non-renewable energy sources and the creation of an energy system based on 60% renewable energy by 2050. As of 2018, the 2030 coalition goals are to achieve 65% renewables in electricity production until 2030 in Germany.
context_section_description: Solving the global warming problem is regarded as the most important challenge facing humankind in the 21st century. The capacity of the earth system to absorb greenhouse gas emissions is already exhausted, and under the Paris climate agreement, emissions must cease by 2040 or 2050. Barring a breakthrough in carbon sequestration technologies, this requires an energy transition away from fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, lignite, and coal. This energy transition is also known as the decarbonization of the energy system or "energy turnaround". Available technologies are nuclear power (fission) and the renewable energy sources wind, hydropower, solar power, geothermal, and marine energy.
  A timely implementation of the energy transition requires multiple approaches in parallel. Energy conservation and improvements in energy efficiency thus play a major role. Smart electric meters can schedule energy consumption for times when electricity is abundant, reducing consumption at times when the more variable renewable energy sources are scarce (night time and lack of wind).
  Technology has been identified as an important but difficult-to-predict driver of change within energy systems. Published forecasts have systematically tended to overestimate the potential of new energy and conversion technologies and underestimated the inertia in energy systems and energy infrastructure (e.g. power plants, once built, characteristically operate for many decades). The history of large technical systems is very useful for enriching debates about energy infrastructures by detailing many of their long-term implications. The speed at which a transition in the energy sector needs to take place will be historically rapid. Moreover, the underlying technological, political, and economic structures will need to change radically — a process one author calls regime shift.
caption: 6 advantages of an energy transition (for example in Europe) - Energy Atlas 2018
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