The Sustainability Conundrum

The Sustainability Conundrum: Balancing Energy Transition and Global Development investigates how a clean environment and mitigation of Global Climate Change will affect the UN’s sustainability goals for development, poverty elimination, and inequality reduction. It covers the necessity of energy use for humans, the global demand and the supply of energy, and the environmental challenges of energy consumption. Outlining the interconnections between four of the UN goals, the book discusses the Global Climate Change problem by explaining how the scientific community eradicated other global environmental threats, such as acid rain, lead contamination, and the ozone hole. It establishes the uniqueness of Global Climate Change; evaluates proposed methods and “roadmaps” to achieve meaningful carbon dioxide emissions reductions; computes the cost of the necessary infrastructure for their implementation on a regional and a global scale; and draws conclusions about the implementation of the proposed energy transition and the sustainability goals for the elimination of poverty and reduction of inequalities within and among nations. This book is intended for students of sustainability initiatives and any readers interested in the ongoing challenges surrounding sustainability and global economic development.