The COVID-19 pandemic has not diminished the urgency to combat climate change or the importance of modernizing economies. It does however shine a light on the importance of resilience in an energy system, a resilience that needs to be emphasized (WEC, 2020).
The resilience of an energy system is illustrated in the examples below:
• resilience to health risks, not only to COVID-19 but also to other health risks that could affect societies to an even greater extent;
• resilience to the scarcity of energy production inputs, such as rare metals, water, land or skills;
• resilience to natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, earthquakes or tsunamis; and
• resilience to new risks that are often linked to the modernization of economies, such as cyber-attacks or systemic risks.
It is thus at the interface of sustainability and resilience that the work of the engineer will be situated. In a particular context of strong budgetary constraints, linked to the historic economic crisis we are currently experiencing, the role of the engineer is decisive. Faced with a multitude of innovations, alongside known and operational solutions, the engineer a rational and rigorous method for selecting technologies that contribute to the development of sustainable and resilient energy systems, far from any dream, ideology or trend.
An engineer’s contribution will be based on four rules:
1. Adopt a systemic approach. Considering only one link in a chain of technological inputs can lead to error due to a failure to appreciate other linkages. This can be easily illustrated by considering a secondary energy, such as electricity, hydrogen or heat, whose use is scarcely polluting, but whose production can significantly modify the qualities of the system.
2. Give priority to mature technologies. The temporal availability of technologies is well known and can be assessed by such tools as the TRL (technology readiness level) scale.
However, the degree of maturity of a technology must be linked to climate urgency (IPCC, 2018a). Numerous studies – primarily those of the IPCC – reveal a clear message: it is vital to act now to curb greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Responding to the climate emergency, requires the adoption of mature technologies in the industrial environment together with the necessary skills. Less mature technologies will be developed to consolidate or amplify the initial results.
3. Encourage significant contributions. It is essential to ask about the extent of the contribution a candidate technology will actually make to achieving the set objectives. This potential contribution is a crucial deciding element the selection and must be considered for its various facets: the adaptability of the technology or the ease of technology transfer are two criteria to be taken into account if the technology is to make a significant contribution to the global energy mix. It must be weighed against the resources needed to develop the technology. These are invariably limited whether in terms of research and development, deployment efforts, material or human investment, and often the mobilization of public aid.
4. Promote a simple economic criterion: the cost per tonne of CO2 avoidance. The economic and social crisis caused by COVID-19 has left everyone paying the cost; governments,
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local authorities, companies and households have all been left financially impaired. In order to make the right trade-offs within a constrained budgetary framework, it is necessary to have a simple but robust criterion that best represents economic efficiency. Comparing the costs per tonne of CO2 avoided (or its CO2 equivalent for other greenhouse gases), which are calculated using a systemic approach for all technologies can help guide choices towards more efficient technologies to combat climate change. However, economic efficiency, which is only one criterion among others, must – in the current period of crisis – become a requirement.
Recommendations
1. In order to help achieve the SDGs, it is essential to develop sustainable and resilient energy systems. Reflections must be based on rigorous facts and without preconceptions.
To achieve these objectives, all energy options are open, depending on national contexts.
2. Engineers have a role to play in informing choices by adopting systemic approaches that put forward mature, immediately available technologies that contribute significantly to combating climate change.
3. In the current context relative to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to use simple and transparent economic criteria such as the cost per tonne of CO2 avoided.
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References
IEA. 2020. World Energy Outlook 2020. Paris: International Energy Agency. https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2020
IPCC. 2018a. Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. Masson-Delmotte, V., Zhai, P. Pörtner, H-O., Roberts, D. et al. (eds). https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15
IPCC. 2018b. Summary for Policymakers. Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. Masson-Delmotte, V., Zhai, P., Pörtner, H-O., Roberts, D. et al. (eds).
https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/spm
WEC. 2016. World Energy Scenarios 2016: The Grand Transition.
London: World Energy Council. https://www.worldenergy.org/
publications/entry/world-energy-scenarios-2016-the-grand-transition
WEC. 2020. World Energy Transition Radar. World Energy Council.
https://www.worldenergy.org/transition-toolkit/world- energy-scenarios/covid19-crisis-scenarios/world-energy-transition-radar