Global Energy, Environment and Transportation Sector : Issues, Challenges and Future Prospects (original) (raw)

Perspectives on the Global Energy Challenge

The Global Energy Challenge, 2016

List of Figures/Boxes vii List of Acronyms ix Acknowledgements xii Introduction: The Global Energy Challenge The approach of this book The structure of this book 1 Perspectives on the Global Energy Challenge Perspectives on energy Political perspectives Economic perspectives Environmental perspectives Technological perspectives Conclusion 2 Evolution and Dynamics of the World Energy System The evolution of the energy mix: From rural societies to industrialisation The economics of energy markets Conclusion 3 The Political Economy of Energy Economic and political paradigms in international energy Three eras in the IPE of energy Global energy in the wake of economic crisis: A fourth era? Conclusion 4 Actors and Institutions Who governs energy, and how? Multilateral agreements and institutions Regional institutions in energy governance The role of corporations in governing global energy A changing landscape: Emerging actors and institutions Conclusion 5 Energy, Climate Change and the Environment Environmentalism, climate change and global energy politics Energy and climate governance Copyrighted material-9781137410078 Copyrighted material-9781137410078 vi Contents The current politics of climate change and energy: Debates and issues Conclusion Energy for Development Understanding development and developing states Energy poverty The resource curse Conclusion Energy Security Understanding energy security Current perspectives on energy security The governance of energy security Conclusion 8 Transit and Infrastructure Transit and infrastructure as a global energy challenge The security dimension of energy transit and infrastructure International energy infrastructure Conclusion 9 Technology and Innovation Innovation and technology The role of the state in energy innovation Energy innovation at the global level Energy innovation and technology in developing states Conclusion Conclusion: Synergies, Conflicts and Energy Futures Synergies and conflicts in addressing energy problems 'Energy independence' and its consequences Energy futures and scenarios References Index

Global Energy Perspectives to 2050 and beyond

Energy Exploration & Exploitation, 1996

Summarized here are the key findings on global energy-related issues presented in the joint WEC and IIASA Report Global Energy Perspectives to 2050 and Beyond. The Report is based on an evaluation of six scenarios. The world's energy use will rise in the coming decades because of population growth, economic and social development, and increasing demand for the services which energy provides. To meet the growing demand for energy services commercial energy provision will expand, with both a continuing reliance on fossil fuels and increasing non-fossil fuel supplies. These non-fossil fuel supplies will include a variety of renewable energy sources. Nuclear energy provision will also increase if challenges posed by public concerns with safety, costs and scale can be met. Electricity and other energy forms delivered through dedicated supply networks are likely to benefit from future developments, as part of a general emphasis on the delivery of energy services in convenient, flexible and clean forms. The pace of development in the various sectors of final energy use between OECD, transitional and developing economies will differ. Greater emphasis will be placed on residential and commercial needs in the first. In the latter the industry and transport sectors expand comparatively rapidly. There will be an increasing emphasis on efficiency improvements in conversion and end-uses of energy, and on satisfying consumer requirements. This shift requires changes in corporate focus and structure, and more rapid technology innovation and diffusion.

The global energy challenge: still fuel for progress?

International Journal of Energy Production and Management, 2015

This paper summarises the key challenges for the global energy sector to fulfil its essential role in the world with a forward perspective from 2014 to 2040. The paper draws on scenarios and other analyses developed by leading institutions and firms. The global availability of extractive energy resources is not likely constrain global progress on human development in the chosen time perspective, but the supplies of oil and gas can come under strain and produce price shocks from time to time resulting from events affecting the supply system. A more severe challenge arises from the impacts of energy-related emissions on the global climate. Actions are possible on the arenas of technology development, enterprise and political governance, which will significantly reduce such risks while fulfilling the energy sector's contribution to improve human conditions. Six such issues of technology development are highlighted, and two issues of political governance: appropriate pricing of energy and emissions, and development of energy efficient cities.

Global Energy: Need, Present Status, Future Trend and Key Issues

2016

Human beings, unlike other biological species, had always and still have the universal desire or instinct of improving quality of life. This inherent instinct has caused previously unimagined explosion of amenities of life, change in life style, improvement of standard of living and resulted sharp growth of global population and life expectancy. Better quality of life requires more works to be done to cook food, build housing, construct roads, and produce clothes and lighting and primarily to generate motive power to produce present day goods and services. Energy sources are needed to fulfill the ever-increasing human needs. Traditional sources of energy e.g. firewood and vegetable wastes, animal power, wind, sun and the traditional ways of using these sources could not match with the increased energy demand. Commercial energy sources: coal, oil and gas are presently playing the dominant role. But the reserves of these sources are finite. New and renewable energy sources like: hydro...

Energy, environment and sustainable development

Applied Energy, 1999

The views expressed in this paper are those of the writers. They do not necessarily represent the views of the European Commission. The INNESTO partners are not responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained in this document. Reproduction of the text or part of it is authorised provided that the source is acknowledged.

Energy, Resources & the Environment: Current Status

Energy Procedia, 2014

The EGU gathers geoscientists from Europe and the rest of the world, covering all disciplines of geosciences. Geoscientific interdisciplinarity is needed to tackle future challenges. A major challenge regards the provision of adequate and reliable supplies of affordable energy and resources obtained in environmentally sustainable ways, which are essential for economic prosperity, environmental quality and political stability around the world. One goal of the ERE division is to be a leading discussion forum for these subjects. The contributions in this issue present some of the challenges that were presented in the ERE division at the EGU General Assembly in 2014.

Energy, Environment and Socio-Economic Development

2012

This chapter espouses the spatial relationships between energy, environment and socioeconomic development, as some of the main challenges African countries are grappling with. Energy is the main driver of all forms of socioeconomic activities occurring within the human space over time. In Africa, however, low access to energy has, to a greater extent, hampered the socioeconomic development of the continent. Although the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) do not specifically stipulate on any energy target, the realization of all the goals stands threatened if households, commercial and industrial activities do not get the rightful access in terms of availability and affordability to energy systems, including their appropriate conversion technologies. The authors explore the dynamics of energy, socioeconomic development and environmental sustainability in a nexus of the triple challenges facing Africa, from different African scenarios. In Africa, the obstacles opposing the continent's bid to expand the energy frontiers from the traditional sources of wood and fossil fuels into other second and third generation energy forms have been constructed in the areas of intense competition for arable lands for food crops and feed stocks cultivation. Suffice to say that increasing population densities, food shortages and insecurity and malnutrition with associated diseases have culminated into acute forms of poverty in recent years in Africa; the problems have been aggravated by the wanton degradation of the environmental resource base and the over-dependence of particular energy mix at both the rural and the urban settings. The above disposition therefore, militates greatly against the socioeconomic efforts of most countries in sub-Saharan Africa. From a systemic perspective, the energy sector which drives almost every sub-sector of the broader socioeconomic activity needs to factor the environmental consequences of extraction and use, with the attending impacts of climate variability and change in a vicious cycle of sustainability.

THE FUTURE OF ENERGY REQUIRED FOR THE WORLD

This article aims to present what the future would require for the production and consumption of energy in the world based on the use of clean and renewable energy. To avoid the catastrophic future that is predicted for humanity resulting from global warming, it is imperative, among other measures, to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by replacing the current global energy matrix based fundamentally on fossil fuels (coal , oil and natural gas) and in nuclear energy, by another global energy matrix structured based on renewable energy resources (hydroelectricity, biomass, solar energy, wind energy and hydrogen) to avoid or minimize global warming and, consequently, the occurrence of catastrophic changes in the Earth's climate. Regardless of the various solutions that may be adopted to eliminate or mitigate the causes of the greenhouse effect, the most important action is, without a doubt, the adoption of measures that contribute to the elimination or reduction of the consumption of fossil fuels in energy production, as well as such as the more efficient use of energy in transport, industry, agriculture and cities (residences and commerce), given that the use and production of energy are responsible for 57% of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity. In this sense, the implementation of a sustainable energy system is essential. A sustainable energy system will only be possible if, in addition to abandoning fossil fuels, energy efficiency is also greatly improved.