Multiple countries announced at the U.N. climate talks that they are committing to phase out coal as an energy source by 2030. But WashU Expert Pratim Biswas warns that a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t the most effective response to climate change.
All U.N. countries need to take a holistic approach to energy choices, especially developing nations, says Biswas. “Just as there is understanding that anthropogenic emissions are causing climate change, the understanding that we will have a mix of energy sources that vary by region is equally important,” Biswas said.
Biswas is the Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor and Chair of the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering at the School of Engineering & Applied Science. His research focuses on aerosols and air quality.
According to Biswas, a balance can and should be achieved between refining energy sources already in place and shifting to new ones, and that the two can be done simultaneously.