According to a new prediction made public on Wednesday by the International Energy Agency, Asia will use half of the world’s energy for the first time by 2025, despite Africa continuing to consume significantly less than its proportion of the global population.
China, a country of 1.4 billion people whose share of world consumption will increase from a quarter in 2015 to a third by the middle of this decade, will account for a large portion of Asia’s energy demand, according to the Paris-based organization.
According to Keisuke Sadamori, the IEA’s director of energy markets and security, China will consume more electricity than the European Union, the United States, and India.
In contrast, only 3% of the world’s power will be consumed in Africa in 2025, despite the continent being home to roughly a fifth of the planet’s nearly 8 billion people.
According to Sadamori, “this and the quickly expanding population suggest that there is still a significant need for expanded electrification in Africa.”
According to the IEA’s annual report, nuclear energy and renewable sources like wind and solar will supply most of the additional electricity generated globally over the next three years.
According to the report, this will stop the power sector’s greenhouse gas emissions from significantly increasing.
According to scientists, immediate dramatic reductions in emissions from all sources are required to prevent the average world temperature from rising by 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Since temperatures have increased by more than 1.1 C since the reference period, the 2015 Paris climate agreement’s stated goal seems more improbable.
One method to achieve the aim is a complete switch away from fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil in favor of low-carbon energy sources.
The IEA said that while some regions use less coal and gas to produce power, consumption is rising in other areas.
The 134-page report also advised policymakers to address that electricity demand and supply increasingly depend on the weather.
In addition to the drought in Europe, Sadamori noted that India experienced heat waves the previous year. “Similarly, heat waves and drought struck Central and Eastern China.
In December, there were numerous severe winter storms in the United States, which put tremendous stress on the electricity infrastructure in these areas.
The influence of weather events on electricity demand will increase as heating becomes more electrified as the clean energy transition picks up speed, according to the IEA, while the amount of weather-dependent renewables in the generation mix will keep increasing. Increased power system flexibility, network resilience, and supply security will be essential in such a society.
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