Why is electrification key?

We have just looked at the positive, motivating outlook on why we want to transform our cities.

But there is also a more grim, threatening part of this, that we all know: the climate emergency that requires very rapid and decisive action.

^{Human activities affect all the major climate system components, with some responding over decades and others over centuries.}

The newest report¹ by the United Nations’ expert committee, the IPCC, clearly tell us:

• The climate crisis is progressing faster than we had hoped,
• We’re currently on track for 1.5 degree above pre-industrial times by 2030
• Global emissions have to peak by 2025
• And transport plays a key role

But they also tell us:

• It is still possible to limit the climate crisis

You may be wondering now: What role can electrification play in finding a solution?

Before we look at this, let’s make sure we know what we mean by electrification. A European Commission expert group that looked at this topic provided a useful definition:

“Electrification of transport combines an energy efficient power train system with the opportunity of using any source of energy other than fossil fuels including those from renewable sources.”²

In this video, Jens provides three key reasons why electrification is a crucial solution for our cities: it’s zero-emission, efficient, and economical.

^References

^{1. IPCC AR6 Climate Change 2021}

^{2. European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation}