Energy promotes human welfare. But our primary energy sources are also the principal source of emissions, which cause climate change. The tension between energy demand and emissions presents the Dual Challenge.
Access to affordable, reliable energy has driven improvements in longevity, prosperity, health, and education. Meeting energy demand will require scaling new low-emissions solutions and maximizing existing ones.
To fulfill the world's energy needs, we will need to develop new, low-emissions energy solutions while also maximizing the efficiency of existing energy sources.
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Global energy consumption has expanded steadily for over 150 years and continues to grow at approximately 1–2% annually, driven by population growth and rising living standards. Yet roughly 80% of global primary energy still comes from fossil fuels. These systems are embedded across transportation, industry, and electricity generation.
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Promising new technologies and integrated energy systems are creating more options than ever. From renewables and storage to nuclear, geothermal, and advanced efficiency solutions, breakthroughs are emerging across the energy system, including technologies that decarbonize existing sources and industrial processes.
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Low-emissions energy sources primarily generate electricity, yet only about 20–25% of final global energy consumption is electric today. We can and we must evolve these systems through addition and integration.
Growing energy demand and the combustion of fossil fuels increases greenhouse gas concentrations, driving climate change.
We must reduce emissions as fast as possible to limit the impacts of climate change.
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Global atmospheric CO₂ concentrations have risen steadily as fossil fuel use has expanded. As a result, average global temperatures have increased approximately 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
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Climate change contributes to more frequent extreme weather events, droughts, flooding, and wildfires in many regions. That leads to insurance losses, infrastructure damage, rising food costs, and growing health risks, putting negative pressure on productivity, GDP growth, and human flourishing.
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The longer emissions trajectories remain elevated, the more difficult and expensive it becomes to reduce long-term climate risk.
More frequent and severe heat, floods, storms, and droughts.
Declining yields and increasing supply disruptions.
Reduced access to reliable freshwater.
Increased illness and deaths from heat and climate hazards.
Degrading natural systems and accelerating biodiversity loss.
Rising costs from disasters and infrastructure damage.
OpenMinds applies a 360° systems approach to evaluate energy and climate solutions across key factors including cost, speed to deploy, scalability, infrastructure readiness, abatement potential, capital needs, and regulatory feasibility, focusing on 1–2 high-impact opportunities at a time.
The world needs more dependable, affordable energy to support human prosperity and modern life.
The most effective solutions cut emissions across entire energy systems while maintaining reliable supply.
Priority solutions scale quickly using proven technologies and practical pathways.
Solutions must strengthen the energy system while delivering measurable economic and reliability gains.
Abundant, reliable energy enables industrial expansion, supports new technologies, and drives sustained economic development.
Cutting emissions at scale helps limit warming, reducing the severity of extreme weather, long-term economic damage, and threats to human health.
Optimizing energy systems and scaling proven solutions reduces long-term costs for consumers, businesses, and governments.
A more connected and diversified energy system reduces exposure to supply shocks, volatility, and the geopolitical risks that destabilize communities and cost lives.
Modernizing the grid and energy systems improves reliability, reduces outages, and supports growing electricity demand.
Electrification and innovation enable faster deployment of low-emissions solutions across transport, industry, and buildings.
Why can’t we focus on energy or climate separately?
Energy and climate are often treated as opposing priorities, but they are deeply connected. Treating them as a tradeoff creates false binary choices and slows progress.
Why is solving the Dual Challenge important now?
Global energy demand continues to grow, driven by population, economic development, and electrification. At the same time, emissions must decline to limit climate change. While we're bending the emissions curve, we still face a big gap, meaning current progress is not enough to meet climate goals.
What makes the Dual Challenge so difficult to solve?
The energy and climate system is complex, fragmented, and often siloed. Conflicting messaging and competing priorities have left many policymakers and business leaders without clear goals and actionable pathways. Solving the challenge requires coordination across industries, technologies, and decision-makers, something that has been difficult at scale.
Is solving the Dual Challenge actually possible?
Yes. And we exist to help solve it. Advances in promising new technologies and integrated energy systems (including renewables, nuclear, electrification, and geothermal) alongside improvements in energy efficiency and emissions reduction are making progress increasingly realistic, practical, and affordable.
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