Energy Policy

Enabling Framework: Business and Industry can make the best contribution to meeting these needs within proper enabling framework conditions including transparent and stable economic and enforced regulatory systems, financing mechanisms and free markets and fair competition.

Open Markets and Innovative Financing: Open markets provide the best conditions for investment in and provision of energy. Governments should also promote and enable investments in energy by leveraging official development assistance, promoting technological cooperation and exploring other innovative financing arrangements that would prioritize and support energy for sustainable development.

Integrated Policies: Energy challenges should be addressed through integrated policies that also take into account development priorities and needs; social conditions and aspirations; trade rules; environmental policies including climate change, air/atmospheric pollution policies; adaptation options; vulnerability priorities; innovation opportunities; and technology transfer policies.

Market Based Mechanisms - Market-oriented policies are a useful complement to other regulatory and policy approaches. Subsidies should be avoided, and where applied, should not distort markets and enable access to energy for sustainable development. "Getting prices right" is a complex concept which should in theory encompass and reflect social, environmental and economic aspects.

Consumer Behavior - consumer understanding and reaction are key factors of success for addressing the energy challenge

All energy sources - All energy sources should be considered in meeting the increasing demand for energy. They should be evaluated based on their merits and relative attributes recognizing that each presents opportunities, issues, and barriers.

Energy Management

Energy for Economic Growth and Development: The provision of adequate supplies of reliable, affordable energy fundamental to economic growth and development.

Managing and Reducing Environmental Impacts: The environmental impacts of energy use and production should be addressed in the context of other urgent priorities including energy security, energy efficiency, economic development, climate change, quality of life, job creation and other environmental impacts.

Research, Development and Technology Innovation: Ongoing technological innovation may provide solutions to current and future challenges. All relevant stakeholders should allocate resources to research and development of new technologies. Businesses already dedicate substantial resources in technology advancement and the development of innovation.

Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency is critical to any comprehensive sustainable energy strategy. Joint efforts by governments and businesses are key to continuing the promotion and enhancement of energy efficiency along the value chain. In particular, energy efficiency decreases the consumption rate of energy thereby improves energy security and reduces the negative impacts in the supply and use of energy.

Partnerships: Governments, businesses, and other key stakeholders need to work in partnership for a sustainable energy future. Business will continue to play an important role in energy solutions, within its sphere of responsibility, in partnership with other stakeholders.

Energy Security: Long-term energy security of supply is needed to ensure that energy can foster sustainable growth. This is especially crucial considering the increase foreseen in energy demand.

Large investment base and infrastructure: Maintaining and growing the energy supply required to meet future demand will require significant investments. Changes in energy systems can only happen slowly due to the large investment and infrastructure base, long lifetime of installed capacity and the massive investments in equipment and infrastructure required to maintain and grow capacity.