We still need fossil fuels (for now)
Fossil fuels provide around 80% of all the energy we use globally - they’re everywhere, used by everyone for almost everything!
We don’t just use hydrocarbons for transport, power, heating and industrial processes—we use them for many products, including toothbrushes, glasses, clothes, and even our smartphones and devices.
So even though we know we must address the climate emergency and protect our planet, we can’t immediately stop using oil and gas without severely impacting our global systems.
A managed and smart transition
It’s critical that we build pathways to a sustainable future, but our legacy energy sources won’t disappear overnight - this is an energy transition, not a switchover.
Fossil fuels have been the foundation of our global economy and infrastructure for a century, and we will continue using them for many years.
To minimise disruption on our journey to net zero, we need a managed, coordinated, just, and fair transition.
Decarbonise and replace
We must find ways to decarbonise oil and gas production while reducing demand and finding alternative energy sources.
By phasing out our reliance on oil and gas in a managed and smart way, we can transition to the low-carbon and renewable energy sources necessary for a sustainable future.
Key points
- Fossil fuels have been the foundation of our global economy and infrastructure for a century, and provide around 80% of our current global energy use.
- Fossil fuels won’t disappear overnight - this is a transition, not a switchover.
- We must decarbonise oil and gas production while reducing demand and finding alternative energy sources.
- We need a managed, coordinated, just, and fair transition to minimise disruption on our journey to net zero.