The blistering summer and the biting winter ahead

"He who marvels at the beauty of the world in summer will find equal cause for wonder and admiration in winter."

John Burroughs, American naturalist

• This summer, Europe faced its worst drought in 500 years. Wildfires destroyed a record of 700,000 hectares of forest in Europe alone—equivalent to one-fifth of Belgium.
• ?Triggered by extreme monsoon rains and glacier melt, deadly floods have left over one-third of Pakistan underwater, impacted 33 million lives and caused more than $10 billion worth of damage.
• A brutal heat wave ravaged many parts of China, lasting more than 2 months. Recent rainfalls eased the effects of scorching heat, but Chinese citizens are now bracing themselves for probable floods ahead.

This is the dire global picture of this summer alone, reminding me that the joyful and lively summers of my childhood are long gone, never to be experienced again—summers full of memories of me diving deep into the blue with my friends and family, being mesmerized by the harmonious sea life, rich and abundant. Providing a glimpse into the future, the summer of 2022 implies that these may sadly remain distant memories.

This summer I dove in my beloved Mediterranean, where the water temperature was as high as 6.2°C above normal. I will be honest with you, the rate of destruction is agonizing. There were only puffer fish and lionfish visible in a sea that would have been otherwise teeming with life and underwater diversity. As someone who has spent so much time researching and talking about the climate crisis, I would expect to be less impacted, but apparently, the loss of nature is not something you can be prepared for.

By any measure, today's conditions are challenging and overwhelming for us all. Some have been calling recent summers the summer of extremes. I can't help but question our definition of extreme, which has dramatically changed in the last few years.

The severe repercussions of the climate crisis

These extreme weather events, increasing in frequency and severity, also shock the economic system. During China's fiercest heat wave, low river water levels made it difficult for hydropower units to produce electricity while the demand for ACs spiked, ramping up pressure on the grid. Sichuan province ordered all factories to shut down for six days to ease a power shortage.

China was not the only country struggling with the unexpected ramifications of heat waves. The scorching heat that swept across Europe led rivers in the region to dry up, resulting in supply chain problems and production cuts. In France, Europe's largest nuclear power producer, the plants have been shut as there was neither cold nor sufficient water to cool down the reactors.

Rivers and canals in Europe contribute around $80 billion to the region's economy and play a critical role in global commerce. Just to give you an example, the low water levels in the Rhine alone – the trade artery of Europe – is expected to slow down Germany's economic growth by 0.5% this year.

These incidents prove that climate change means much more than just a shift in weather. It poses a severe threat to every aspect of our lives, harming both the economy and livelihoods. Energy, water, geopolitical, and environmental issues are all tied together. Tackling a problem this complex calls for a wind of change and collective effort.

In the grip of a major energy crisis

Russia's determination to keep main gas pipelines closed in retaliation for the sanctions caused Europe's energy crisis to spiral out of control. Gas prices are now about ten times their average over the past decade.

More importantly, this becomes a moral issue. Poorer households face a greater burden when paying for energy bills. According to the IMF, amongst the top 10 economies in Europe, the richest 10% spend 6.1% of their income on energy, whereas the poorest 10% spend 17.8% of their household budgets.

The implications of Europe's energy crisis on household bills may get "astronomic," as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen puts it . In most EU countries, the average annual energy expense for low-income earners now exceeds one month's wage. Take Italy and only the cost of appliance use for example; the cost is projected to increase 5-fold by December 2022, compared to the same time last year, according to estimations.

In response to soaring energy prices, European governments are working hard to relieve the burden on citizens and mitigate the energy crisis' impact on the economy; as of August, the total allocated budget has exceeded €270 billion. EU-wide, strict measures are also on the table.

In an attempt to raise about €140bn, the EU Commission's recent energy proposal includes windfall tax on energy companies, asking them to share their record profits with struggling consumers. Even the iconic Eiffel Tower has a role to play in easing the energy crunch as Paris city hall plans the Tower to fall dark more than an hour earlier than usual.

Against all these efforts, clean energy transition is at stake, while it should be the focal point. In Germany, power output from coal climbed by 23% annually in the three months leading up to June, while electricity production from natural gas decreased by 19%. Global coal demand is set to return to an all-time high in 2022, risking the progress we have made thus far. These numbers show the challenge facing EU governments in meeting clean energy goals.

We are navigating through a unique time in global efforts: the present economic, climate and security drivers have the strength to fuel energy efficiency. We must find longer-term solutions instead of implementing momentary measures to curb demand and expand clean energy and energy efficiency efforts.

We can't let today's hasty decisions fan the flames of energy insecurity.

See the big picture?

If today's headlines are to highlight only one thing, it is the world's ongoing dependence on oil and gas. Governments must strike a balance between long-term climate commitments and the immediate need to reduce reliance on Russia, which could increase coal and oil use in the short term.

Turning to gas production, controlling the energy demand, or introducing relief packages are only short-term fixes. Instead of debating as nations, as industries, on where the oil or gas comes from, we must reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and focus solely on decarbonizing our economies.

I firmly believe that these historically turbulent times also present a historic opportunity to accelerate clean energy transition and energy efficiency efforts.

The difficulties we face now will only worsen if we don't press on towards net-zero by 2050. We have substantial resources, brilliant innovations, and –even still– time to turn things around and address today's challenges globally. What we only need is willpower.

After all, where there is a will, there is always a way.