When it comes to climate change, this is the decade of truth. Without taking additional measures, temperatures on earth will rise exponentially. The expectation is that global energy use will increase by 20 to 25% in the next 15 years as a result of population growth and economic development. Industries are under pressure to improve their energy efficiency, to use more sustainable energy sources and to reduce emissions. Carbon pricing is based on the principle that the polluters themselves are the ones who pay, and it is an integral part of (inter)national mitigation strategies. In order to decrease reliance on fossil fuels, efforts are also being made to further develop renewable energy generated from wind, geothermal heat, the sun and water. By 2025, it is expected that onshore wind and solar energy will be the cheapest forms of energy, and that fossil fuel use will have already peaked. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? From an asset management perspective, we can argue that the earth is our most important asset and should therefore be carefully managed. Climate change is one of the major threats to earth. Rising global temperatures are a given, and the consequences if we fail to take action are...
