John Kerry sees unstoppable energy transition worldwide

John F. Kerry, former US Senator and Secretary of State, said the world’s energy transition is unstoppable and spoke of the remarkable advance in climate technologies. He was speaking before a plenary audience at Gastech 2024 in Houston on Wednesday.

In his address to industry leaders, Kerry highlighted the unparalleled opportunities presented by the energy transition. While acknowledging the persistent challenges on the path to net zero, Secretary Kerry emphasized the critical role that both emerging and established climate technologies will play in addressing the climate crisis. He urged companies and governments to prioritize decarbonization in the deployment of future technologies.

He also delivered a warning to the oil and gas industry, saying that any lag in movement toward decarbonization technologies will cause the industry to fall behind new energy competitors.
In this context he cautioned the industry, asserting that many leading thinkers do not believe carbon capture and storage is scalable and affordable. Secretary Kerry expressed optimism throughout his remarks for technological advancement.

He heralded the remarkable progress of China in renewable power capacity. He also noted the efforts of smaller countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Pakistan, which he said have had rapid progress in solar power installation. Texas was also lauded for its remarkable advancement in renewable power, with the state now surpassing even California in renewable power capacity.

Secretary Kerry left no doubt about his belief that climate change will continue to compel this market movement, citing an array of environmental stresses. “You are going to see some imbalances here and there, but the basic direction is towards decarbonization and we have made progress in that. The reality is that people have now accepted a transitional understanding, and this transitional understanding requires new technology, as well as storage, solar and wind.”

Secretary Kerry emphasized the dynamic role of the market to spur innovation in climate technology. “The marketplace - at large - is investing and moving into this new energy future, with greater adoption of new technologies,” he said. “Everything is changing, and my judgement is that the marketplace is going to keep moving as it is now, with growing competition to decarbonize.” Secretary Kerry anticipated what might be expected in the next US administration. “My approach for this administration, or the next one, is to build on the IRA, to let the best person win with the most sustainable and affordable technology.”