Not since the late 1970s have governments around the world been under so much pressure to ask their citizens to cut energy consumption for the greater good.
The need for more energy conservation has snowballed: The war in Ukraine is forcing Europe to curb dependence on Russian energy, the post-pandemic economic recovery is creating power shortages in China and the rapid shift to renewables, extreme weather events and sky-high fuel prices are stretching grids from Texas to Pakistan.
The battle against climate change in the decades ahead will make the situation more difficult, and government policies can only go so far in keeping up with the challenges. That means leaders will be increasingly turning to ordinary citizens to make sacrifices beyond paying exorbitant prices at the gas pump.