At equal fourth place in global rankings, Britain is juggling better than most of 126 other nations the triple concerns of energy security of supply, energy equity or fairness, and energy cleanliness, research out this week has found.
The World Energy Council’s Trilemma Index assigns points to countries on each of those aspects. Research was carried out before the global gas price crisis broke.
Across the three aspects, the UK ranks behind only Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark, and equal with Finland. Britain’s relative failure to entrench security of supply – amply demonstrated in gas storage capacity down to seven days’ consumption – prevents us rising higher, analysts believe.
More than 700 million people on the planet still lack basic access to any electricity or clean fuels, the WEC reports.
That means the globe may fall short of achieving by 2030 the UN’s Sustainable Development goal number 7 of delivering affordable, reliable energy worldwide.
Renewable capacity has grown, with clean power now accounting for over 80% of the globes’ capacity added in twelve months. However, global carbon dioxide emissions continue their worrying ascent.
“Our relationship with energy and, consequently, with each other, is shifting and transforming”, Dr Angela Wilkinson, the Council secretary general, commented.
“Today’s energy landscape is crowded, competitive and increasingly costly. Confusion, confrontation and extreme polarisation have become commonplace.
“The world needs more sustainable energy. There is an urgent need to better prepare societies for clean and just energy transitions and to involve more people and diverse communities in the process.
The challenge to navigate the critical role of energy in everyday life has never been greater.”
The WEC Trilemma Index was first compiled in 2010. Read its 2021 report here.
