Trends Briefing: The Future of Energy
Thursday 31st August 2023
0900-1000
The future of energy has never seemed more important.
We’ve had a winter of sky-high energy bills, a summer of soaring temperatures in the Mediterranean (and torrential rain here in the UK) and the emergence of new culture wars around our energy future. Where we get our energy, how it is produced, and how we use it is under renewed focus.
It straddles geopolitics, drives real impacts on our economy and our lives, and is shaped by increasingly fractious debate about climate change. Whether we like it or not, the way we create, store, and use energy is changing – and will continue to change as we move further into the future.
So how have we got here – and what might the future of energy look like?
Our energy mix here in the UK has come on leaps and bounds from the coal and oil heavy mixes of the 19th century. Much of our energy demand is now met by renewables – or by nuclear energy – but natural gas, a fossil fuel, remains a core component in meeting our energy needs. As climate change impacts grow – will that be true forever? As energy becomes an ever more intertwined with the perilous geopolitics of the modern world, can we afford to be reliant on external production?
Or might technology hold the answer?
The possibilities of new technologies, from fusion energy to superconductors, could revolutionise our approach to energy – if they arrive in time. Meanwhile, how are consumers reacting to our energy environment today – and how are they thinking about tomorrow? From higher prices, through to the introduction of electric vehicles, attitudes to net zero, and opinions on renewables, there’s likely no easy answer.
What does the future of energy hold?
How will our energy mix change as we respond to geopolitical shifts and the growing impact of climate change? Could new technologies open up new avenues for energy production and transmission – and help us meet the climate challenges of the future? How are consumers responding to change – and what price are they willing to pay for greener energy? And how is the future of energy affecting politics – both here and abroad, today and in the future?
Join us for our next trends briefing where we’ll tackle all these questions, their implications for businesses, policymakers, and strategists, and more…
Register Here