Introduction

The global energy system is undergoing a rapid and significant transformation both from demand and supply perspectives. The former is due in large part to the growth and rapid urbanization of emerging economies, both of which are extremely energy intensive. The latter is due primarily to the “shale gas revolution,” the disaster at Fukushima, and the push for renewables. Governments are defining policies regulating all aspects of energy systems, including extraction, transportation, distribution, accessibility, fuel mix, transmission, and so on.

The World Energy Council's definition of energy sustainability is based on three core dimensions – energy security, social/economic equity, and environmental sustainability. Policy objectives should strive to address these three partially conflicting dimensions.

Further confounding the complexity of establishing appropriate targets are the following facts: there are currently about 1.3 billion people without electricity and 2.6 billion people who rely on traditional biomass for cooking and heating; energy demand is expected to double by 2050; and there is a strong international desire to halve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to mitigate global warming. Energy planning must also be linked to goals and priorities in other sectors of the economy.

Regional differences abound, with regions least able to finance an energy shift most in need of one. Energy poverty in Africa in particular is a priority as less than 30 percent of the population has access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. In Asia 700 million people still have no access to electricity, and almost 2 billion people still burn wood, dung, and crop waste to cook and to heat their homes (Asian Development Bank, 2014). Lack of access to modern forms of energy results in the use of more-polluting and-less sustainable fuels, including biomass.

In this chapter we examine six potential targets for a post-2015 development agenda.