conclusions

 

Economic progress, especially in developing countries, will drive global energy demand higher despite substantial efficiency gains Oil, natural gas and coal are indispensable to meeting this energy demand, even with rapid growth in renewables Significantly impacting CO2 emissions requires global participation, step changes in energy efficiency, technology gains and massive investment

 

We draw these three key conclusions from our outlook.

Economic progress will drive energy demand significantly higher by 2030 (up approximately 40 percent vs. 2005) — even with substantial gains in energy efficiency. This growth will be concentrated in non-OECD nations, where economies are expanding most rapidly and where billions of people require access to expanding quantities of energy to realize just a fraction of the quality of life that those in developed countries take for granted.

Oil, gas, and coal will remain indispensable to meeting demand for reliable, affordable energy for the foreseeable future. Because renewables start from a small base, even with rapid growth they cannot significantly alter the global energy mix over the outlook period. Fossil fuels will continue to provide about 80 percent of energy in 2030.

Significantly impacting global CO₂ emissions growth requires the combination of many challenging essentials including global participation, step changes in energy efficiency, technology gains and massive investment over decades.

Economic expansion and better living standards are a desire for billions of people around the world. Providing the reliable, affordable energy necessary for growth is imperative. Understanding the outlook for energy and thoughtfully examining the available options are essential.