The global energy sector has reached a critical turning point
The global energy sector has reached a critical turning point
- Published
Driven by the urgent need to mitigate climate change and a rapid shift toward low-carbon systems.
- The Sunstone Institute has launched the "Energy Transition Score" (ETS), a data-driven tool measuring how nations balance climate goals with the critical need for energy to fuel economic prosperity.
- The report highlights that the transition is now driven by plummeting costs for solar and wind, yet warns that progress remains too slow and deeply unequal between the Global North and South.
- By prioritising verifiable metrics over political promises, the index shows that even major economies such as the US and China are lagging in delivering a fair and effective transition to carbon neutrality.
- Journalist
- Amund Trellevik
- Data Scientist
- Zongchang Yang
As the International Energy Agency warns that the window to limit warming to 1.5°C is closing, the transition is no longer just an environmental necessity but an economic evolution.
The main driver is cost. Over the last ten years, the price of solar power has dropped by 86 per cent. Onshore wind has fallen by 69 per cent, offshore wind energy by 59 per cent. This massive change has made renewable energy a highly competitive investment, reshaping markets worldwide.
To help people understand this complex transition, the Sunstone Institute created the Energy Transition Score (ETS). The Energy Transition Score is a tool designed for everyone, from government leaders, media workers and investors to the public.
The ETS does two main things:
- We measure how well a country’s energy system is working right now.
- And we predict how ready a country is to go green in the future.
The ETS acts like a ‘strategic compass’. It helps find new opportunities and manage the risks involved in moving toward a sustainable, carbon-neutral future.
So, let's dive into the overall picture in short: How is the green transition progressing?
The world is moving toward clean energy, but the pace is too slow and uneven. Here is the status of the global energy transition:
