2. Fossil fuels

For the last 300 years the world has relied on fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—for its energy. The widespread availability, high-energy density, ease of transport and storage, and the generally low cost of fossil fuels has facilitated the development of modern society with all its benefits. ‘Fossil fuels’ explains, however, that the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels has severe impacts on the environment. It is accepted by most policy makers that continuing to burn carbon based fossil fuels cannot be sustained and we need to move quickly towards energy systems that emit greatly reduced amounts of CO₂, but fossil fuels will continue to play an important role in energy supply for some years.