Global energy consumption is increasing rapidly, driven by rising living standards in developing countries. The energy provided by burning fossil fuels is also increasing, albeit not quite as fast as total energy use. This is unsustainable and decarbonisation is imperative - to reduce air pollution, rebalance relations between oil producing and importing countries, and to moderate climate change. With today’s technology, decarbonising rapidly at a price society will be willing to pay will be hard.

Professor Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith, Director of Energy Research at the University of Oxford, will review the technical, economic and political challenges that will have to be met in order to meet future needs sustainably.