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Key Message

In a growing world, the challenge is to provide the energy needed to meet development aspirations without further compromising the planet's health. The solutions lie in knowledge sharing, progressive policy and the use of existing and new technology.

Energy

Promoting sustainable development through clean, secure energy

Energy is one of the key building blocks of sustainable development. In all countries, it is the fundamental requirement for providing other basic life necessities, such as food, water, shelter and clothing. Without energy, from its simplest forms such as biomass to its more complex counterparts such as fossil fuels or hydro-electricity, society is unable to maintain or improve living standards, meet the basic needs of its citizens or maintain the socio-economic infrastructure necessary for political and economic stability. Indeed, for the estimated two billion people who currently rely on traditional biomass for cooking and do not have access to electricity, a lack of energy acts as a barrier to industrialization and getting out of the poverty trap.

The world is expected to change dramatically over the next 25 years, presenting significant challenges for energy production and use. For example, by 2030, the International Energy Agency estimates that $17 trillion dollars of investment will be made in energy infrastructure, largely in developing countries. These investments and others will need to be carefully planned to ensure that greenhouse gas mitigation occurs hand-in-hand with meeting the energy needs and development aspirations of developed and developing countries.

IISD is striving to shape the energy future of Canada and other countries through an inter-disciplinary and integrated approach that examines energy concerns across institute programs and integrates consideration of energy issues into other central themes our Climate Change and Energy program, particularly:

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