Abstract:

The global economy becomes more energy efficient over time, though carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions continue to grow unless there is a shift in current policy and technology trends. Renewable energy, led by wind and solar power, grow rapidly, though they primarily add to, rather than displace, fossil fuels unless more ambitious climate policies are put into place. Electricity plays an ever-growing role in final energy consumption, and while electric vehicles also play an important role in the future of transportation, their effect is more likely to restrain the growth of, rather than lead to a decline in, global oil demand over the next two decades. Under ambitious climate scenarios, the global economy becomes much more energy efficient, global coal consumption declines by more than half relative to current levels, oil use falls by up to 20%, natural gas increases modestly, nuclear energy grows by more than 50%, renewables more than double, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies are deployed at scale by 2040.