The $27 trillion energy transition needs a bottom-up approach to match top-down efforts by governments and business in order to improve the lives of eight billion people globally, a leading expert has said.
Society's role is critical and is often underappreciated, Dr Angela Wilkinson, the secretary general of the World Energy Council, told the Business Extra podcast.
“People don't want to be told by their leaders, what the future will be. They want their leaders to enable them to realise their own hopes and dreams and to play their part in it,” she said.
“There's three sides in energy transition, and we would call that the energy trilemma. You have to think about security, affordability and decarbonisation at every level of society, if we are going to manage a transition that is for everyone.”
A transformation of energy systems is needed to help meet Paris climate deal goals to limit global warming to well below 2°C — and ideally to 1.5 °C — by the end of the century, compared with pre-industrial levels.
“That's why the emphasis for us would be that there's multiple energy transitions, and diversity in energy is increasing,” said Dr Wilkinson, who is one of the world’s leading experts on the global energy future, an experienced industry executive and a distinguished Oxford scholar and a published author.
“If we keep talking about technology, innovation and how do we get too big through technology and capital alone, we'll miss out on the opportunity to improve seven to eight billion lives worldwide,” she said.
“That is the biggest energy transition opportunity. It is not a transition for the energy industry. It is not a transition for capital markets. It is a transition for modern energy societies.”
The World Energy Council was formed about 100 years ago “to overcome national interests in energy”, she said.
“We are a community of communities of deeply local and globally networked energy interests. It is not about climate versus energy. It is about climate and energy security.”
Dr Wilkinson accepted that currently there is a more polarised and fragmented leadership landscape with diverse energy interests, and a lot more competition and conflict, including as a result of the Ukraine war.
“If we see what is happening in Europe, in the US, [and] certain parts of the world, the main focus of the conversation around energy is access to affordable energy,” Dr Wilkinson.
“And the fact that prices have been rising significantly, partly as a result of the fallout from [the Covid-19 pandemic]. But also this year the war in Ukraine has added to the stress.”
Inflation is at a four-decade high in the US and the UK, and is at a record high in Europe.
There have been other factors to do with the industry that have held back “access to useful and usable energy for everyone”.
“The way we actually measure and account for access — whether it is in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals or in our own world energy trilemma framework — is, to me, unacceptable in terms of really providing better and decent lives for everybody,” Dr Wilkinson said.
“If one household in a community has an electricity connection for lighting, that counts as access to the whole community, whereas that is not enough energy for people to cook, it is not enough energy for people to refrigerate, for them to have cold chains for vaccines.”
Carbon is not the only metric to follow, she said.
“You have got to think about security, affordability and decarbonisation, and increasingly with attention to resilience and justice.”
It is not only the responsibility of governments or the private sector to make the transition work, said Dr Wilkinson. Communities must play a leadership role.
“If you have a government framed conversation, they will be talking about what how do we allocate energy … where do we get the biggest bang for our buck as a national economy through investments? … markets try to have that conversation about prices … but communities have different conversations about energy,” she said.
“That is really also a missing voice across the world, in these in the negotiations on climate change … food security … energy security … we also need human development and security. So, we need communities at the table.”
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
MEYDAN RESULTS
6.30pm Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer).
7.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Galaxy Road, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
7.40pm Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Al Modayar, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.50pm Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner George Villiers, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
Winner Lady Parma, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar
10pm Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Zaajer, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
The biog
Name: Capt Shadia Khasif
Position: Head of the Criminal Registration Department at Hatta police
Family: Five sons and three daughters
The first female investigator in Hatta.
Role Model: Father
She believes that there is a solution to every problem
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
