New Lens Scenarios from Shell

Shell has released new scenarios that explore two possible ways the 21st century could unfold, with dramatically different implications for society and the world’s energy system. Called Mountains and Oceans, each scenario dives into the implications for the pace of global economic development, the types of energy we use to power our lives and the growth in greenhouse gas emissions.

The New Lens Scenarios, which look at trends in the economy, politics and energy as far ahead as 2100, underscore the critical role that government policies could play in shaping the future.” These scenarios show how the choices made by governments, businesses and individuals in the next few years will have a major impact on the way the future unfolds,” said Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser. “They highlight the need for business and government to find new ways to collaborate, fostering policies that promote the development and use of cleaner energy, and improve energy efficiency.”

With the world’s population headed toward 9.5 billion by 2060 and the rapid growth of emerging economies lifting millions of people out of poverty for the first time, the scenarios project that world energy demand could double over the next 50 years.

The scenarios look further into the future than many other outlooks and highlight some surprising possible developments. Both see global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) dropping to near zero by 2100. One factor is increasing use of technology that takes CO₂ out of the atmosphere, for instance by burning biomass to produce electricity, and then storing emissions underground. Although the Oceans scenario sees a dramatic increase in solar power, it also envisions greater fossil fuel use and higher total CO₂ emissions over the century than the Mountains scenario, which will likely have more impact on the world’s climate.

The new scenarios contain plenty of data tables on the global energy system. You can download them as a pdf or as an App at www.shell.com/scenarios