Prospects and Challenges of Sustainable Energy Future: Policy and Technology Perspectives

The world faces unprecedented pressure to develop appropriate tools and policies for a sustainable energy future. Though science suffers from a burden of proof, it has thus far proved true to different predictions on human-induced climate change impacts. The call to transition from sole dependence on fossil fuels to drive human civilization is alarming. Science, technology, and international climate policies provide some promising steps toward a practical net-zero economy path. Policies, innovations, and technologies play a critical role in supporting the energy transition agenda toward a sustainable future. The recent innovations in technology and business models that embrace the adoption of alternative energy sources are impressive, where the use of renewable and alternative energy sources such as solar and wind are gaining traction. Awareness of the importance of adopting a suitable energy future is on the rise, with private investors beginning to push companies to change; countries worldwide are adopting various measures to a just transition, essentially adopting policies to embrace a low-carbon economy. Amid all the positive indications of the global community to embrace a sustainable energy future, the challenge of replacing fossil fuels, which are thus far the cheap, versatile, and dependable energy source, is prevalent. Appropriate policies will need to be adopted so that there will be a just transition embracing the principle of leaving no one behind. To keep up with the pace of the global social economic dynamics, countries will have to embrace strategies that mix different options tailored in local conditions while keeping abreast with the global dynamics. This paper reviews the roles of appropriate policies and technological advancement to support a sustainable energy future.