The human race, and the race to zero
Reducing carbon emissions is an important and necessary aim—but it should not allow us to ignore the energy needs of the billions of underprivileged people around the world
The start of the year is a time for reflection and to look ahead. This year, already a uniquely challenging one, is no exception. The brutal shock of Covid-19 and the global health emergency has left deep scars in societies and has had very uneven impacts on communities, industries and economies across the world. Our industry, energy, is no exception. The resilience of electricity systems has been tested and the impact on other sectors and forms of energy—heat and liquid fuels—have exposed new vulnerabilities. In many countries, the gap between those that have access to clean, affordable, reliable energy and those that do not has widened. Access to modern energy is easily taken for granted

Also in this section
3 July 2025
European Commission introduces new flexibilities for member states to ease compliance with headline goal
1 July 2025
Supportive government policy, deforestation threat and economic opportunity drive forward the region’s monetisation of forest carbon
27 June 2025
TotalEnergies’ delayed FID for its Venus project will likely set back first oil, but Windhoek has other irons in the fire
26 June 2025
Last year was one of records for renewables but also for oil, gas and coal, as the energy transition progresses in an increasingly uneven way, according to the Energy Institute’s latest annual report