Nicola Armaroli is research director at CNR and a member of the Italian National Academy of Sciences. He studies materials and systems for solar energy conversion and analyzes the energy transition in its complexity, also in relation to climate change and resource scarcity. He has published over 250 scientific papers and 8 books on energy and environmental issues. He is Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), and serves as associate editor or member of the editorial board of several international journals. He is elected member of the Executive Board of the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) and director of Sapere, the first Italian science periodical, established in 1935. He also serves as consultant for several national and international institutions on energy and environmental issues.
Lecture: Energy and Sustainability: a concluding overview
The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is the key tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. The two cornerstones of the transition are energy efficiency and electrification of end uses. The latter is particularly relevant for the transport and building sectors. In this context, it is useful to critically analyze the prospects of the hydrogen vector, which can be rationally used only in some specific contexts. The targets set by the European Union for the reduction of greenhouse emissions for 2030 and 2050 highlight the need to act very quickly. An epochal energy transition to be completed in less than thirty years is a huge challenge and the next ten years will be crucial. An analysis of the many technical, economic and social bottlenecks along the way will be made. The energy transition is not only a big challenge, but also an enormous opportunity for scientific and technological advancement.