Building Energy Resiliency in the Asia Pacific – Providing Transition Pathways for a More Secure and Sustainable Future

Abstract

The global energy system is under stress with volatile oil prices, the challenge of climate change and economic uncertainty bearing down. Now is not the time to pretend that a ‘business as usual approach’ across the Asia Pacific energy sector is a viable strategy which provides resilience. Currently, energy policy is stove piped and sector biased which does not reflect the multifaceted nature of energy. Addressing energy security in vulnerable cities requires a change in thinking. The traditional International Energy Agency (IEA) definition of “energy security as the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price”, doesn’t come close to addressing complex uncertainty. Energy planners in the Asia Pacific must consider the interconnected vulnerabilities of: technological innovation; resource climate management and security; geo-strategic competition; demographic shifts, efficient governance; social cohesion and trust; and hybrid and asymmetric threats. Failure to change the way nations think on energy is a failure to prepare for change.