On November 4th 2016 the Paris Agreement entered into force. The warmingof the climate system, first recognized over a century ago, has become one ofthe key political and social issues of our time. Some still deny it ishappening, others are incensed by the slow pace of change, while most are leftconfused and uncertain not just by the science, but by the panoply of solutionsput forward by politicians, business people, academics and activists. At its most ambitious, the Paris Agreement implies a transition within theglobal energy system such that carbon dioxide emissions fall rapidly from 40billion tonnes per annum in 2016, to net-zero by the middle of the century. Yetour fossil fuel based energy system which ushered in the Industrial Revolutionnearly 200 years ago continues to grow and evolve even as new sources of energycome into the market and compete.
The principal economic instrument for change is clear and has been for over twodecades, but in 2017 only a fraction of the global economy actively employsgovernment led carbon pricing policies and within that only a handful ofsystems operate at a level commensurate with the pace and scale of change thatis necessary.
As deployment of new energy technologies accelerates, can solutions be found tocover the full range of services delivered by fossil fuels and can warming belimited to the agreed global goals? Putting the Genie Back explores the climateissue from its very beginnings through to the end of end of the 21st Centuryand looks in depth at the transition challenge we collectively face.
Climate change is one of the most pervasive yet least understood issue of our generation. Some deny it, while most are left wondering what to think and do about it. This book explores the climate issue from its very beginnings through to the end of end of the 21st Century and looks in depth at the transition challenge we collectively face.
