Our Scans · (LF.7) Affordable and Clean Energy · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

• [New] In energy, electricity generation would need to grow by almost 3 x, and renewables by 8 x to reach Net Zero targets by 2050. Wartsila.com
• [New] Advances in synthetic biology & fusion energy will influence global sustainability efforts, while next-generation materials will enable lighter, stronger & more efficient technologies. UnfoldLabs
• [New] Renewables are projected to make up nearly 20% of final energy consumption by 2030, up from about 13% in 2023. The National Law Review
• [New] The displacement of unabated fossil energy due to the imposed hydrogen deployment leads to reductions in global CO2 emissions in 2050 (relative to the No H2 case) that range between roughly 1,200 and 1,600 Mt CO2 per year. AGU Journals
• [New] Liquid fuels represent more than half of the total final energy displaced by hydrogen by 2050. AGU Journals
• [New] Demand for graphite and other minerals essential to the energy and digital transition is projected to rise four or five times by 2050. EurekAlert!
• [New] Global energy demand is expected to grow by an average of more than 3.5% per year, while the generation expected to match it will predominantly consist of expansions in renewables, nuclear, and natural gas. We Don't Have Time
• [New] The Energy Shock 2026 is reshaping how organizations manage risk, procurement, and long-term strategy. German Compliance Institute
• [New] ITER will never produce power to supply to the energy grid, but will serve as one of the most important - if not the most important - research projects on Earth to solve the puzzle of creating commercial nuclear fusion, the holy grail of clean energy. oilprice.com
• [New] Companies including Fortescue, Iberdrola, Arup, EDP, Hitachi, Octopus Energy Generation, Orsted, SSE, SUNOTEC and Vestas are backing efforts to triple global renewable capacity by 2030. ""
• [New] New regulations mandate a 16% improvement in the energy performance of residential buildings by 2030. Sustainable Business Magazine
• [New] Floating offshore wind potential offers more than two times the energy equivalent of annual U.S. electricity consumption, even after accounting for relative technical suitability in support of responsible offshore wind energy deployment. Energy.gov
• [New] Drivers: Full integration into the core banking systems of the G20, XRP acting as the primary liquidity bridge for the majority of the world's CBDCs, and a massive supply squeeze as the 2030 Net Zero climate goals favor energy-efficient XRPL over Proof-of-Work systems. KuCoin
• [New] For FrieslandCampina, which aims to produce net climate-neutral dairy by 2050, the Netherlands whey protein investment will include energy - and water-efficient technologies and the phase-out of older production lines. CNS Media
• [New] The strategic availability of ports and renewable energy-rich regions like the Northern Cape will enhance South Africa's competitiveness in both local and export markets. Precedence Research
• [New] Nuclear energy will play a part in the longer term, particularly in the US. Clifford Chance
• [New] The International Energy Agency expects electricity demand from data centers to more than double by the end of the decade, with AI alone consuming nearly 3% of global power. Tony Blair Institute
• [New] Europe enters the new energy age with significant structural vulnerabilities that are already affecting its economic performance and political cohesion. Tony Blair Institute
• [New] Europe risks spending heavily on the energy transition without anchoring the supply chains that underpin it. Tony Blair Institute
• [New] Europe risks marginalization in a new map of energy power shaped by US energy abundance and China's industrial scale. Tony Blair Institute
• [New] Iran has responded by threatening to disrupt the movement of oil and natural gas through the Strait of Hormuz, causing an energy crisis that has sent fuel costs soaring and forced many countries to scramble to secure supplies. IADC.org
• The total installed capacity of nuclear power plants worldwide is expected to increase by 2.6 times by 2050 compared to 2024 levels, marking one of the most significant structural shifts in the global energy system. AzerNews.az
• Global additions of renewable power capacity are expected to jump by a third this year as growing policy momentum, higher fossil fuel prices and energy security concerns drive strong deployment of solar PV and wind power. IEA

Last updated: 11 May 2026