What if I told you all every single action you take, every meal you eat, every purchase you make has a hidden cost. Not in dollars and rupees but in carbon. The real challenge we face in today's world is just not about reducing our carbon emissions but about understanding our personal role in the climate crisis and taking the first step to solve this problem measurement.Now let's take a step back and think about the air we are breathing in this auditorium. It has been reshaped by decades of industrializatio ...

Core Insights - The 2025 Statistical Review of World Energy indicates a complex global energy landscape characterized by simultaneous growth in both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources, with a notable increase in electricity demand driven by electrification efforts [14][26][31]. Group 1: Global Energy Demand and Supply - In 2024, global energy demand rose by 2% to reach 592 exajoules (EJ), with fossil fuels still comprising 87% of the energy mix [31][78]. - Renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar, grew by 16%, contributing to 53% of the global increase in electricity generation [31][47]. - Natural gas demand increased by 2.5%, while coal demand reached a record level of 165 EJ, with the Asia Pacific region accounting for 83% of global coal demand [31][38]. Group 2: Carbon Emissions - Global energy-related carbon emissions grew by 1% in 2024, reaching 40.8 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent, marking a record high for the fourth consecutive year [31][79]. - China and India together contributed to 62% of the increase in global emissions, with China alone accounting for approximately one-third of total emissions [31][79]. Group 3: Regional Trends - The Asia Pacific region led global energy demand growth, contributing 68% of the total increase, while North America and Europe experienced slower growth rates of 0.4% and 0.7%, respectively [51][52]. - China was responsible for 57% of new renewable energy additions in 2024, significantly outpacing other regions [31][37]. Group 4: Energy Transition Dynamics - The energy transition is described as "additive," with both renewable and fossil fuel demands increasing simultaneously, highlighting the complexity of the current energy landscape [14][26]. - The report emphasizes the need for energy security, with renewable energy deployment helping countries reduce reliance on energy imports [65][66]. Group 5: Future Outlook - The report suggests that the energy transition is increasingly associated with energy security and independence, particularly in light of recent geopolitical tensions and climate impacts [23][65]. - Investment in renewables is seen as a key strategy for enhancing energy security and reducing vulnerability to global fuel market fluctuations [66][69].

Environmental Crisis & Economic Model - The current economic model is based on accumulation and consumption, which is unsustainable [3] - The speaker proposes a radical reimagining of the economic model centered around "carbon wealth," where individuals are born with a base amount of carbon dollars and make choices that either deposit or withdraw from a global survival account [5] - In this model, products are priced in carbon, incentivizing low-carbon choices [5][6] Buildings & Carbon Emissions - Buildings contribute to 39% of total global carbon emissions, making them a key area for climate action [8] - Developers are focusing on resilience and utilizing local materials to convert buildings from carbon liabilities to carbon assets [9] - Examples like the Candida building at Georgia Tech demonstrate how buildings can produce more energy than they consume, feeding excess back into the grid [10] Extreme Weather & Resilience - Extreme weather events have increased in frequency by 50% in the last two decades [13] - Buildings need to be more than just shelters; they need to be active defenders against climate change through smart design [11][12] - Despite the challenges, humanity has shown resilience and the ability to innovate and survive [13][14]