End of fossil fuels, new technologies, managing the world of tomorrow

In 2023, for the first time in their history, participants at the United Nations Climate Change Conference referred in their final declaration to the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era. COP 28 thus declaratively laid the foundations for a virtuous energy transition for the planet.

For decades, fossil fuel production (coal, gas, oil) has been considered the main source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for almost 65 % of total emissions, and the main cause of global warming. The end of fossil fuels therefore implies both an environmental project and the anticipation of their future extinction: within 54 years for oil and 63 years for gas, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Fossil fuels still account for over 80 % of total primary energy production, and two-thirds of the world’s electricity is generated by them. Add to this the IEA’s estimate that global energy demand will increase by 45 % by 2023 : how can we reconcile all these imperatives? Is this really the beginning of the end for fossil fuels?