Energy Transition: Energy Shocks and Crises

 

A crisis is a transformative event. Whether it is a house fire, a tsunami, or an economic depression - a crisis changes our expectations,  how we view the future, and what we're willing to do.  

At the DCP we believe that the coming energy transition will be defined by a sweeping, decades-long transition punctuated intermittently by economic and environmental crises that will bring about rapid step-changes to our expectations and attitudes (versus the long smooth transition imagined by many in the sustainable development field).

By studying risks, scenarios, strategic investment strategies, and processes for creative collaboration, we hope to create resilient cities that can use crises as opportunities for positive change.

 

An Energy / Climate Shock Classification System

As an approach to understanding energy shocks, and their socio/political/economic ramifications, we've created a classification system in a style similar to what is done for hurricanes.

Mapping Combined Impacts of Peak Oil and Climate Change

We've created a diagram which maps out the range of potential interactions between peak oil and climate shocks.  The results are divided into 3 'shock-renewal pathways' as detailed below.

3 Shock-Renewal Pathways 

With cities facing a wide range of new, as well as familiar, crises - it becomes critical that we plan ahead for the challenges of the energy transition.