Unmasking the Energy Transition Myth

In 2024, we used more oil and coal than ever before. Despite the growing number of electric cars on our highways and solar panels on our rooftops, global carbon emissions continued to rise. Historian Jean-Baptiste Fressoz argues that we should forget about the term ‘energy transition’ altogether. Is betting everything on innovation actually blocking real and urgent needed change?

Throughout history, energy sources have never replaced each other. They have only complemented each other, French historian of science and technology Jean-Baptiste Fressoz argues. Replacing a product with a sustainable alternative does not necessarily lead to reduced use of harmful raw materials. Electric cars are still made from steel, which requires tons of coal. Unrealistic, distant promises about future hydrogen planes only stand in the way of real changes in aviation today.

Based on Fressoz’s book More and More and More, we will discuss the alleged myths of the energy transition. What does this analysis mean for those working within the energy transition? And are we in our public discourse avoiding the elephant in the room – namely, degrowth?

About Onder hoogspanning
Will there still be 24-hour electricity from the socket in the future? Will we all soon be driving Chinese electric cars? The energy transition requires fundamental decisions, backed by significant political and economic interests. In the program series Onder hoogspanning, we bring the driving and clashing forces of the energy transition to the surface. From governments and companies to consumers: who are the players, and what are their interests? What is needed for a fair energy transition, and what does fairness actually mean?