WEC launches 2013 Trilemma report as UN holds General Assembly

The World Energy Council is launching its 2013 World Energy Trilemma report with the annual Energy Sustainability Index this week.

The global launch starts in Washington, DC, at a panel discussion organised by the United States Energy Association (USEA), the WEC’s US member committee, today, 24 September.



Joan MacNaughton CB, Executive Chair of the report, is leading the launch events with Christoph Frei, WEC Secretary General; Mark Robson, Partner at Oliver Wyman, the report’s project partner; and Vicky Bailey, the new Chair of the WEC's US member committee.

The WEC kick-started the week of activities with Ms MacNaughton previewing the report’s findings in New York City on Monday, 23 September, at the annual Climate Week conference, and at an event organised by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the UK government body promoting business overseas, co-hosted by Gregory Barker, the UK Minister of Energy and Climate Change, and Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State and CEO of Masdar.

On Thursday the WEC’s incoming chair, Mrs Marie-José Nadeau, will co-host a panel discussion with the UN Foundation on the trilemma work, with Kandeh Yumkella, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and CEO of the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative.

During the week the WEC will also hold talks with senior decision-makers from the United Nations, the World Bank, the US Department of Energy, and the International Peace Institute on its trilemma work.

The events take place as world leaders gather next week in New York City for the UN’s General Assembly to discuss the post-2015 Millennium Development Goals.

The World Energy Trilemma study assesses how well countries are addressing the energy trilemma – the triple challenge of finding solutions to support secure, affordable, and environmentally sensitive energy. The Energy Sustainability Index within the report is a comprehensive ranking of countries’ energy policies, showing areas of success and room for improvement.

The 2013 report complements last year’s. While the 2012 report describes what the energy industry needs from policies to deliver sustainable energy systems, the 2013 report captures what policymakers want from industry.  The 2013 report is the result of interviews with about 50 ministers, regulators, and senior figures from development banks and international governmental organisations.

The two reports are structured to support the industry–policymaker dialogue which will culminate at the World Energy Congress next month in Korea. The WEC will then bring the insights to inform negotiations at the COP-19 climate conference in Poland this November.

 Read the press release here.