2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

The Global Energy Landscape: 2050 and Beyond

Numerous countries across the globe have carbon emission reduction goals for 2020, 2030, 2050, and beyond, and most have different strategies to reach these goals. One common theme among them is the incorporation of significant amounts of renewable energy into their energy portfolios. Changing the economics of energy is a difficult task, and it can be hard to imagine what the world might look like in a future where mostly carbon-neutral sources power our grids and fuel our vehicles. Can individual countries handle incorporating large amounts of renewable energy with limited international coordination, or must this task be tackled using a unified global policy strategy? This symposium presents regional approaches to incorporating renewables into energy portfolios, and perspectives on what the energy economy might look like in those regions beyond 2050. The speakers discuss how international collaboration can help address climate mitigation efforts through decarbonizing the energy economy, and what the overall global energy landscape might look like beyond 2050.