World Energy Trilemma 2015: Priority actions on climate change and how to balance the trilemma

To assist policymakers as they set climate and development goals and design policies in international and domestic forums, the World Energy Council, in partnership with global management consultancy Oliver Wyman, has published the 2015 “World Energy Trilemma report: Priority actions on climate change and how to balance the trilemma”.

Workshops across all the Council’s regions and interviews with energy leaders from both the public and private sectors lead to one overarching message: the energy sector is ready for an ambitious climate agreement and calls for an international framework with a single measurable target for GHG emissions that enables fair competition and sets a clear pathway towards low-carbon energy systems.

Regional and national differences and priorities call for different solutions, but all agree that the level of uncertainty created by the continued lack of an international climate framework is not acceptable. The energy sector points to five priority action areas to support the implementation of an effective framework and ensure climate and development goals can be achieved.

The 2015 report builds on the previously developed dialogue among energy leaders discussing what is needed to succeed in overcoming the energy trilemma – the triple challenge of finding solutions that simultaneously address the three key aspects of energy security for economic growth, energy equity for social stability, and environmental sustainability.