From Resource Works

By Stewart Muir

There is no “energy transition” – It’s all “energy addition”

Politicians and climate campaigners like to talk of an “energy transition” in which the world is going to burn less and less fossil fuel, switch to clean (or cleaner) energy, and thus resolve climate issues.

But so far the “transition” is not so much about moving away from traditional fuels as about adding renewable energy sources on top of them.

Our latest episode of Power Struggle looks at the impact of world use of coal, which is still a prime source of energy — and growing. That’s bad, we agree, but some uses of coal are going to be hard to change.

Experts have been predicting “peak coal” for years but they’ve always been wrong. This year, global coal consumption is expected to reach an all-time high.

Some key points from our podcast with our Stewart Muir:

• The world burns over one million tons of coal every hour. That’s the weight of nearly 5,000 Statues of Liberty or 10 aircraft carriers, or about 247,000 adult African elephants. So make that 37,000 adult African elephants every hour. 
• Coal energy has enabled millions of people in developing countries to better their  lives, and their nations’ economies.
• India’s coal consumption went up 10% in 2024. And Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Pakistan are increasingly reliant on coal.
• China may have installed more renewable-energy sources, and may lead in electric vehicles, but China’s green-energy business is built on coal.

So, while we hail the energy transition, and applaud solar energy, carbon capture and more, we still need to talk about the 247,000 elephants in the world’s room — coal.

Clearly, without addressing coal’s persistent use, the energy transition will fail.

Catch this latest (13th) episode of Power Struggle on YouTube here: https://ow.ly/WiSw50UzX9F

And watch our previous episodes here: https://ow.ly/XK9350UzX9R

From Resource Works 

In 2024, the EU shifted towards a cautious, fossil fuel-inclusive energy strategy amid rising costs and public unrest

In 2024, the European Union’s shift back towards fossil fuels began to solidify in earnest.

Over the past few years, Giorgia Meloni has become the Prime Minister of Italy, Geert Wilders’ party is the senior partner in the governing coalition of the Netherlands, and Friedrich Merz is poised to ascend to the leadership of Germany’s government. All three figures are on the political right and are far more nuanced or sceptical of renewable energy, depending on whom you speak to.

The EU’s once ironclad commitment to rapidly replacing fossil fuels with renewables has cracked and given way to a more cautious and inclusive strategy to keep homes heated and industry powered. There is also growing resistance to the sacrifices being asked of ordinary EU citizens to meet the demands of aggressive green policies, which helped fuel their rise—no pun intended.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy reiterated her government’s ambition for Italy to become a hub of natural gas in Europe. Meloni’s government has signed a important deal with Libya and reaffirmed Italy’s partnership with Algeria across the Mediterranean to grow imports of natural gas to Italy.

Meloni herself has labelled EU climate policies as “disastrous” and has pledged to revise them, while her government has prioritized energy security and economic pragmatism. Her push to boost Mediterranean gas development is in large part a reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which led to severe restrictions on imports of Russian gas.

While many critics charge Meloni’s approach to fossil fuels as short-sighted, her approach resonates with many Italians and other Europeans who will no longer tolerate economic disruption due to energy shortages.

In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) has been the senior partner in the governing coalition since October 2023 and is far more hawkishly contrarian when it comes to EU climate policies. Wilders has dismissed proposed new investments in offshore wind turbines, solar farms, and other measures as “pointless climate hobbies.”

The PVV’s manifesto proposes abolishing Dutch climate laws, removing the country from the Paris Agreement, and growing fossil fuel extraction in the North Sea. Wilders is likely to face resistance from his more moderate coalition partners, but his electoral success is another indicator that green policies are no longer deal-breakers for European voters.

To the east, in Germany, Friedrich Merz and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are heavily favoured to return to power in the 2025 election after just four years out of government.

Merz opposes the EU’s mandated ban on combustion engines by 2035 and is open to reviving nuclear energy, which was controversially phased out under the current Social Democratic Party-led government after pressure from the Green Party, a junior coalition partner. As a junior partner in the current governing coalition, the Greens are unlikely to join a CDU-led government if the party secures a plurality in the upcoming election, as they have never formed a coalition with the CDU before.

Under Merz, the CDU advocates for “technological openness,” which opens the door to a host of alternatives to heavy-handed energy phaseouts. Like Meloni in Italy, Merz remains committed to EU climate goals, but the CDU’s pro-business outlook could very well slow the pace of renewable energy adoption in favour of economic and industrial goals.

Germany has a special role in the EU as the largest economy and has acted as its unofficial leader for decades. The decisions made by a likely Merz-led CDU government will have a huge impact across the bloc, even if his approach may be tempered by his coalition partners.

The approach of Merz, Meloni, and Wilders reflects a broad reorientation in Europe due to rising energy costs, stagnating economies, geopolitical uncertainty, and public backlash.

This shift is not indicative of climate denial or an abandonment of the EU’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2050, but the pathway is far murkier. Global energy leaders should take note and ponder what role they can play with the EU’s more inclusive approach to energy security.