23 May 2012: The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has published a report titled “The Energy Mix: Low-Carbon Pathways to 2050,” which outlines how the 30% increase in global energy demand forecast for 2050 can be met sustainably.

The report, which results from a collaborative effort between the WBCSD Secretariat and senior executives from member companies, was launched during the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany. It traces the development of the global energy system and seeks to enhance understanding of the roles of markets, technology and policy in shaping the future.

The report highlights that to meet energy demand in 2050 and see “nine billion people living well, within the limits of one planet,” substantial changes in the global energy system must be implemented. It discusses three overarching issues that urgently need to be addressed: the serious risk of lock-in to the current high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trajectory due to high costs of altering the system and the longevity of legacy energy assets; the need for a clear, unambiguous and well structured global energy policy framework; and a carbon price high enough to help achieve GHG emission reduction within a global energy policy framework, suggesting that this price will likely need to be between US $100-200 to have a major impact.

The report moves on to consider pathways towards achieving these goals, emphasizing the importance of closing the investment and technology gaps via adequate and increased support mechanisms. It also features case studies on the efforts of developed and developing countries to decouple growth from carbon emissions. [WBCSD Press Release] [Publication: The Energy Mix: Low-Carbon Pathways to 2050]