Electric cars: how their growth impacts the energy sector

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This is an analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA) which highlighted a rather reassuring observation: the planet is breathing (a little) better in recent years . The rise of “clean” technologies (solar, wind, electric cars, etc.) has played a decisive role in moderating CO2 emissions over the past five years. According to advanced calculations, without these advances, the overall increase in emissions would have been three times greater. The impact on the demand for fossil fuels was also quite significant.

A rapidly changing energy sector

According to the IEA, the growing adoption of VE worldwide has been one of the key factors in limiting the demand for oil. This has never exceeded pre-pandemic levels, despite an overall increase in emissions linked to ;energy between 2022 and 2023.

The development of clean technologies has nevertheless contributed to slowing down this increase, which is good news. In 2023, emissions increased by 1.1% (an additional 410 million tonnes) compared to 490 million tonnes last year.

Advanced economies' emissions have fallen dramatically, despite their growing GDP. We witnessed a real trough that had not been observed for at least 50 years. Demand for coal is also at half mast, reaching rates equivalent to those of the 1900s.

In 2023, a car sold out of five in the world was electric. In Europe alone, “ sales [of EVs] exceeded 1.5 million’ #8,217;units in 2023, an increase of +37% in one year », According to this article from La Tribune. The supremacy of oil in the transport sector is gradually being shaken.

Towards an accelerated energy transition ?

The global context has not been frankly calmed over the last five years; between a pandemic, an energy crisis and strong geopolitical instabilities, we have seen better. However, the transition to cleaner energy sources has proven resilient and maintained at a good pace, notes Fatih Birol, director general of the IEA.

Clean energy has grown twice as much as fossil fuels since 2019. Very positive results, which illustrate that the energy transition is in full acceleration since the beginning of the decade.

The intensification of the adoption of&#8217 ;wind and solar energy throughout the world has also contributed to the reduction in annual demand for natural gas. This represents a volume equivalent to that of Russian gas exports to the EU in the pre-war period.

If we are more used to it In addition to bad news about the climate and the environment, we must also know how to recognize when progress exists, however small it may be. The full transition is far from over, and let's not forget that the shift to electric will bring with it other challenges. This one will never be the ultimate magic wand, but its effects on emissions are already there.

• Adoption increasing importance of EVs and clean technologies has had a beneficial effect on energy-related emissions.
• These have slowed down significantly over over the past five years.
• There are many signs that the energy transition is accelerating despite a complex global context.

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