20. Conclusion: energy balance under climate constraints

The geopolitics of energy is going through the most turbulent period in its history. The emergence of new players is tilting the center of gravity eastwards, with China and the countries of Southeast Asia gaining in importance and the United States becoming less dependent on oil and natural gas imports.

By 2050, there will be around 10 billion people on the planet, all aspiring to consume as much energy as the most developed populations (3.5 t of oil equivalent per inhabitant per year in the European Union). Producing the quantities of energy required to meet these needs will be a complex task. Fossil fuel reserves are very large, but their use contributes to climate change. Renewable energies represent only a small fraction of current energy production, and while they are developing rapidly, we cannot overlook the problems posed by the production of the metals...