Sustainability and Energy Security: Wrestling with Competing Futures

Policy-makers must manage the tensions between the dominance of fossil fuels and the environmental damage from their use, between the growing demand for natural gas and its limited supply, and between the role of governments and that of markets.

Three main uncertainties will influence energy supply and demand over the next several decades: the security of resources, the pace of action on environmental issues, and technological development and commercialization.

Well-informed stakeholder processes focused on identifying ‘What kind of energy future do we want?’ and ‘What kind of energy future can we get?’ could help resolve these tensions, by contributing to the articulation of long-term objectives and targets to guide private decisions and public policies.