BP: Artificially accelerating energy transition can cause serious environmental damage

Artificial acceleration of energy transition can cause serious damage to the environment, BP's Vice President for the Caspian region Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli said today at the International Scientific Conference on "Sustainable Environment: Transition to Green Energy" held in Baku, Report informs.

"Energy transition refers to the shift from traditional energy sources to renewable energy sources. Traditional energy sources have a higher carbon emissions burden. However, there is a need to shift the balance towards renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydrogen to meet humanity's growing energy demands. The main goal of this transition is to reduce atmospheric emissions.

However, the important issue here is the speed of transition. The most common mistake often made on a global scale is claims about the possibility of implementing energy transition instantly, in a short period. This transition should be implemented gradually because artificially accelerating it will cause more harm to the environment and ultimately force us to return to traditional energy sources," Aslanbayli emphasized.

He also touched upon European countries' experience in this field: "A few years ago, European countries prematurely stopped coal production and nuclear reactor operations without calculating the necessary requirements. However, when consumption increased, renewable energy sources couldn't meet the demand, and consequently, they had to restore traditional energy production."