Answers and solutions

How Do We Meet Energy Needs and Combat Global Warming?

Ensuring a high level of development while preserving the atmosphere, fragile ecosystems, and flora and fauna is the unprecedented challenge 21st century societies face. This challenge is all the more difficult given that human activity is partly responsible for exacerbating the greenhouse effect- thus global warming.

However, there are already a number of initial solutions. While we cannot live without the energy required to sustain economic activity and everyday life, we can consume better and less – this is known as energy efficiency. Significant results have been achieved in this area since the 1970s and can now be stepped up.


Upstream initiatives targeting energy consumption can reduce the consequences of global warming. CO₂ emissions from burning fossil fuels can now be recovered from thermal plants, refineries, cement works or iron and steel plants. This gas is then stored in geological layers over 1000 meters underground to prevent them from adding to the greenhouse effect.

These new issues concern all of society and possible solutions will depend on collective choices as well as individual efforts made by manufacturers, public authorities, and citizens.