Sustainable Societies

Energy

Of the 6 billion people living in the world, there are still 2 billion people (or 1/3 of the world's population) who lack access to commercial energy, most of whom live in severe poverty. At the same time, in the period between 1992-1999, total world consumption of commercial primary energy increased by almost 10%. (Petroleum, coal and natural gas are the world's primary energy sources; taken together hydroelectricity, nuclear, solar and wind power meet a small percentage of energy needs.) One reason for this increase is the fact that developing countries' share of global commercial energy use increased to almost 30% in 1998 as compared to only 13% in 1970. On a per capita basis, however, the increase in primary energy use has not resulted in more equitable access to energy services between industrialized and developing countries. In Africa per capita energy use barely increased in the 1990s and remains at less than 10% of average per capita use in North America. Regional energy use is even more inequitable when viewed in terms of per capita electricity use. In the least developed countries, 83 kilowatt-hours per capita are consumed while in European countries 8,035-kilowatt hours per capita are consumed.