Energy is arguably the most crucial sector for achieving climate-friendly and sustainable development. Power generation is the primary contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, with most of the fuels being of fossil nature, mainly oil, coal, and natural gas. Currently, renewables, including hydropower, solar power, and wind power, represent approximately 13% of the total energy mix and are steadily increasing.

Projections indicate that global demand for fossil fuels will likely reach its peak around 2023-2025, with global greenhouse gas emissions peaking around 2030. It is, therefore, highly probable that the target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C will be significantly missed. Consequently, the path to achieving net-zero emissions remains the main direction to mitigate global warming and enhance sustainability. To accomplish this, a comprehensive, innovation-based and transformative approach is necessary.

The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities organized the trilateral symposium “Energy Solutions” which brought together around 30 renowned experts in the field of energy from the three countries. It aims to enable comparative discussions on the current state of research in both fundamental and applied science, as well as technology transfer and innovation scaling in the energy sector. The symposium emphasized the distinct strategies and approaches employed by the three countries in their energy transition efforts, while identifying areas requiring further action to achieve sustainability.

The following areas werde addressed during the symposium:

•  Decarbonization and defossilization of energy production and consumption;
•  Conversion and storage technologies (batteries, hydrogen, synthetic fuels and others);
•  Smart and resilient grids and energy distribution systems, including AI-based solutions;
•  Negative emissions technologies, carbon dioxide removal, EOL cycle and materials;
•  Scaling and commercialization of innovations from basic and applied research.

Image: Adobe Stock / Jose Luis Stephens, malp, New Saetiew

© German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina 2023