I find it rather telling, however, that they both chose to ignore mentioning the findings of a recent IEA report, which cogently states that we need a rapid expansion in low-carbon energy technologies and that we must also accelerate the shift away from dirtier fossil fuels if we are to avoid a potentially catastrophic warming of the planet.

So, while global energy demand will undoubtedly continue to grow over the next 20 years, how we choose to meet this demand will have enormous consequences for our planet’s economic and ecological support systems far longer than that.