Konfuzija u energetskoj tranziciji – svet i Srbija danas

Abstract

The extraordinary circumstances due to the pandemic have been lasted for almost three and a half years. During that period unexpected new challenges arose in the development of humanity. It is understandable, since most events in today's world are defined as different crisis situations, which are characterized by: slowing down of global growth and international trade, almost unrestrained inflation as a global phenomenon, turbulence in the energy and food markets, finally an unprecedented war in Europe, geopolitical tightening of relations between the bearers of global power, followed by widely applied mechanisms of various economic and political sanctions. All this could easily lead to the de facto interruption of global climate action, the organized fight against poverty, harmful inequalities and humanitarian trials in many parts of the world. As one of the key challenges of global harmonization of economic practice and economic policy for the purpose of a better future, energy transition is largely becoming a victim of unwillingness to agree and to dialogue, especially among key global rivals for economic-technological and military dominance in the world. Conceptually, the energy transition remains, at least on paper, in the focus of all policies and documents and strategies as part of the green transition. However, in practice, it turns out that strategic decisions are always victims of tactical adjustments of policies and practices in the short and medium term. Humanity is once again at a turning point: either it will return to the practice of global cooperation, painstaking harmonization and actions that include climate policy, the social and human aspects of the energy transition and industrial transformation in the context of the common goals of stopping the increase in global temperature at the level of 1.5 degrees comparing to the preindustrial era, or climate plans and actions will collapse like a soap bubble dominated by short-term economic, military and technological goals. Serbia belongs to the countries with above-average climate changes intensity, and its energy sector is among those with the highest harmful emissions, as well as the highest share of coal (over 50%) in the production of final energy. The restructuring of its economy and economic-technological structure in the process of energy transition will be exposed to high social and psychological challenges, which especially concern local and regional communities and public energy companies. Controversial news and signals arrive from the political scene to a large part of employees in the energy sector. Part of these controversies and misunderstandings originate from the international public scene affected by the growth and debt crisis, inflation and new confrontations. Confrontations in our region confrontation, along the global, may be strong challenges in the coming period. Despite everything, the energy transition in the world is an unstoppable process, which has climatic, ecological, resource, social and cultural goals, which should be insisted upon in every conceptual crisis.