Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk once described the ongoing use of fossil fuels and their generation of a vast carbon footprint as "the dumbest experiment in human history."
Not everyone will agree with his assessment of the petroleum, gas and coal sectors, which have powered the world's growth for decades. Nonetheless, the twin goals of supply chain security and sustainability are now driving a transformational shift in the global energy mix and instilling a sense in governments, consumers and corporates that inaction is not an option. Musk's point, made during a podcast interview with US host and commentator Joe Rogan, was that the world needs to switch to clean energy technologies in order to limit global warming and avoid climate catastrophe. The chief executive of electric vehicle (EV) company Tesla does, of course, have an enormous financial stake in the future of clean energy. But he's also right about the vast shift required if Paris Agreement commitments to restrict global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels are to be achieved. That's going to require...