World Energy Prospects and Stakes. A New Paradigm

To pursue the present path in the development of energy systems would lead to growing insecurity of supply and an unacceptable increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Both climate change (and other environmental hazards) and security of supply would rapidly become formidable obstacles for peace and development if energy consumption follows such an 'impossible path'. Energy security and environmental constraints converge to offer mankind both a challenge and opportunity: to invent a new model compatible with sustainable development, in order to 'meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. Energy efficiency comes first, because it presents the largest potential, it is applicable to all sectors of activities in all countries and because it is a pre-requisite to slow down the depletion rate of fossil fuel resources and to ensure a rational and significant increase of the share of renewable energy sources in total energy requirements. An energy efficiency strategy is not a slight adjustment to an energy supply policy but a new concept of economic policy which takes into account the costs of environmental degradation, growing energy insecurity and the medium and long term trend of increasing energy costs. Industrialised countries can and must reduce their total energy consumption. Most developing countries must increase their energy consumption for their economic development, but they can reach this objective with much lower growth than industrialised countries in the past by applying energy efficiency strategies. At world level, priority should be given to energy efficiency in the Transport sector, literally tied to oil products, and to electricity consumption in the household and service sectors since electricity production is a voracious and expensive consumer of natural resources. (author)