Innovation

As we've seen, it will be a long road to 2050 – with plenty of bumps along the way. With the increasing energy burden the global population is expected to bring, and diminishing resources at our disposal, never have we relied more on humankind's talent for ingenuity. Throw in the increasing impact of climate disruption and it is clear the time for innovation is not later, but now.

Fortunately, the world is already rising to the challenge. Everything in energy is being reconsidered: new fuels are being developed and practical innovations are appearing at such a rate that we're hearing the words "energy technology revolution" bandied about. Habits are changing, policies are contributing and attention is turning from short to long term.

There will be no silver bullet, but fortunately, no one is seeking one. Instead, multifarious changes across populations and industries will guide us into the future. Programmes such as Shell GameChanger, which harnesses the ideas of the crowd and lends the expertise of a few, are already responsible for over 200 functioning solutions. Overall it's becoming clear that the way forward lies not with a company or an individual, but with all of us, together.