Sustainable Development, Global Warming and Energy Trends

Abstract

The current system of energy production, distribution and consumption (henceforth energy system) has many serious weaknesses: on the one hand, it is a crucial determinant of the undergoing process of global warming, on the other hand, it is very vulnerable from the security and economic point of view as the effective availability of its main energy sources and their expected prices are highly uncertain. There is wide agreement on the fact that the age of fossil fuels is bound to decline during this century, progressively giving way to a different energy system based on alternative energy sources. Opinion, however, is quite divided on the amount of fossil fuels reserves, on the characteristics that the new energy system should have as well as on which economic, environmental and energy policies should guide the pace of the transition process.