A2 GEOGRAPHYENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SUPPLIES

FACTORS AFFECTING THE DEMAND FOR ENERGY

PRESENTATION 1

THE DEMANDThe demand is primarily governed by the size of a country’s population and its level of economic development. Growth in energy demand is particularly rapid in newly industrialised countries.A country’s energy policy can impact significantly on demand if it focuses on efficiency and sustainability.High levels of pollution due to energy consumption can be a strong stimulus to developing a cleaner energy policy.

WORLD ENERGY CONSUMPTIONWorld energy consumption is the total energy used by all of human civilization. Typically measured per year, it involves all energy harnessed from every energy source, across every country. World Energy Consumption has deep implications for humanity's social-economic-political sphere (factors).

RENEWABLE ENERGYThe International Energy Agency estimates that, in 2013, total world energy consumption was 9,301 Mtoe (tonnes of oil) , or 3.89 × 1020 joules, equal to an average power consumption of 12.3 terawatts.From 2000–2012 coal was the source of energy with the largest growth. The use of oil and natural gas also had considerable growth, followed by hydro power and renewable energy. Renewable energy grew at a rate faster than any other time in history during this period, which can possibly be explained by an increase in international investment in renewable energy.The demand for nuclear energy decreased, possibly due to the accidents at Chernobyl, Three Mile Island or Fukushima.

EXPENDITURES ON ENERGYIn 2011, expenditures on energy totalled over 6 trillion USD, or about 10% of the world gross domestic product (GDP). Europe spends close to one quarter of the world's energy expenditures, North America close to 20%, and Japan 6%.

PHYSICAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL FACTORSPHYSICAL FACTORS: Deposits of fossil fuels are only found in a limited number of locations.ECONOMIC FACTORS: In poor countries foreign direct investment is often essential for the development of energy resources.POLITICAL FACTORS: International agreements such as Kyoto Protocol can have a considerable influence on the energy decisions of individual countries.

PHYSICAL FACTORS AND FOSSIL FUELSDeposits of fossil fuels are only found in a limited number of locations.Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms, containing energy originating in ancient photosynthesis.The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years.Fossil fuels contain high percentages of carbon and include petroleum, coal, and natural gas.Other commonly used derivatives include kerosene and propane. Fossil fuels range from volatile materials with low carbon: methane, petroleum, like anthracite coal.

ECONOMIC FACTORSIn poor countries foreign direct investment is often essential for the development of energy resources. Investment in renewable energy was higher in the world’s poorest countries than the richest ones for the first time last year, according to a major new report.A total of about £196.5bn was spent renewable power and fuels globally in what was a record year for investment in the sector, according to the Renewables 2016 report by the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (Ren21). But more than £107bn of that total, which doesn’t include large hydropower schemes and heating and cooling technologies, took place in developing countries such as China, India and Brazil.

INVESTMENTS IN ENERGYFriends of the Earth said it was "shameful" that the UK was being outspent by "much poorer countries" and attacked the Government for failing to create the right environment for investors in renewables.By the end of 2015, there was enough renewable capacity to supply an estimated 23.7 per cent of the world’s electricity - a figure the UK Renewable Energy Association (REA) said showed that there was a “strong business case” for the industry.However the REA also lamented “political decisions” by the British Government that it said were holding back the sectors’ growth and favouring “more expensive technologies instead”.

INVESTMENTS IN ENERGYFriends of the Earth said it was "shameful" that the UK was being outspent by "much poorer countries" and attacked the Government for failing to create the right environment for investors in renewables.By the end of 2015, there was enough renewable capacity to supply an estimated 23.7 per cent of the world’s electricity - a figure the UK Renewable Energy Association (REA) said showed that there was a “strong business case” for the industry.However the REA also lamented “political decisions” by the British Government that it said were holding back the sectors’ growth and favouring “more expensive technologies instead”.In 2015 renewables worldwide had the capacity to generate 1,849 gigawatts of power, compared to 1,701 gigawatts in 2014, after the largest ever annual rise, the Ren21 report said.

POLITICAL FACTORSInternational agreements such as Kyoto Protocol can have a considerable influence on the energy decisions of individual countries. The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits State Parties to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, based on the premise that:

(a) global warming exists (b) man-made CO2 emissions have caused it

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005. There are currently 192 parties (Canada withdrew effective December 2012) to the Protocol.