Reflecting on Three Decades of Energy Transition
In 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change marked a pivotal moment, affirming the scientific consensus on the role of greenhouse gas emissions in global warming. This collective acknowledgment spurred action, culminating in the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in December 1997 by 192 state parties, committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
This exploratory visualization traces the annual changes in energy consumption since 1992, distinguishing between fossil fuel sources and low-carbon alternatives. It prompts us to consider whether our collective pursuit of transitioning to low-carbon sources aligns with the necessary momentum for meaningful change. However, it also raises important questions: Is this transition path universally applicable, or must it be tailored to each nation's unique circumstances? Where have our past efforts led us, and what lies ahead?
These initial inquiries merely scratch the surface of our exploration. Deeper questions emerge as we delve into the data: Why do certain nations diverge from the main trajectory, becoming outliers in the transition process? What underlying factors drive the observed patterns, such as the intriguing convergence trend between fossil and low-carbon sources?
We invite you to embrace a journey of discovery and curiosity as you take a few minutes to study the results of three decades of human endeavor, striving to overcome one of mankind's greatest challenges.
About the Data
The dataset utilized for this visualization comprises Primary Energy Consumption data, sourced from Our World in Data. It encompasses country-level data measured in terawatt-hours (TWh) categorized by the type of energy source, spanning from 1965 to 2022.
Citation for Data Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (2023); Energy Institute - Statistical Review of World Energy (2023) – with substantial processing conducted by Our World in Data. "Primary energy consumption" [dataset]. U.S. Energy Information Administration, "International Energy Data"; Energy Institute, "Statistical Review of World Energy" [original data].
It's important to note that this dataset contains entries with null values for certain countries, these were not excluded. In each iteration, these null data points are depicted at the origin point as a 0 TWh difference each year. Furthermore, it's essential to acknowledge that the dataset may not comprehensively cover all nations that are signatories to international agreements and are not represented in the visualization.
For the purpose of this visualization, two primary categories were defined: fossil fuel sources, encompassing oil, coal, and natural gas; and low-carbon sources, including wind, solar, hydroelectric, biomass, other renewables, and nuclear energy. The dataset was filtered to commence from 1992, aligning with the establishment of the UNFCCC. Rather than depicting year-by-year changes, the visualization calculates the difference from 1992, offering a relative measure of progress anchored in that pivotal year. Given the significant variations in energy consumption magnitudes across countries, a logarithmic scale was employed to accurately represent these disparities.
