CAMBRIDGE GEOGRAPHY A2 - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: FACTORS AFFECTING THE DEMAND FOR ENERGY.

1. A2 GEOGRAPHY
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SUPPLIES
FACTORS AFFECTING
THE DEMAND FOR ENERGY
PRESENTATION 1

2. THE DEMAND
The demand is primarily governed by the size of a country’s population
and its level of economic development.
Growth in energy demand is particularly rapid in newly industrialised
countries.
A country’s energy policy can impact significantly on demand if it
focuses on efficiency and sustainability.
High levels of pollution due to energy consumption can be a strong
stimulus to developing a cleaner energy policy.

3. WORLD ENERGY CONSUMPTION
World energy consumption is the total energy used by all of human
civilization.
Typically measured per year, it involves all energy harnessed from every
energy source, across every country.
World Energy Consumption has deep implications for humanity's social-
economic-political sphere (factors).

5. RENEWABLE ENERGY
The International Energy Agency estimates that, in 2013, total world
energy consumption was 9,301 Mtoe (tonnes of oil) , or 3.89 × 1020
joules, equal to an average power consumption of 12.3 terawatts.
From 2000–2012 coal was the source of energy with the largest growth.
The use of oil and natural gas also had considerable growth, followed by
hydro power and renewable energy.
Renewable energy grew at a rate faster than any other time in history
during this period, which can possibly be explained by an increase in
international investment in renewable energy.
The demand for nuclear energy decreased, possibly due to the
accidents at Chernobyl, Three Mile Island or Fukushima.

7. EXPENDITURES ON ENERGY
In 2011, expenditures on energy totalled over 6 trillion USD, or about
10% of the world gross domestic product (GDP).
Europe spends close to one quarter of the world's energy expenditures,
North America close to 20%, and Japan 6%.

9. PHYSICAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL FACTORS
PHYSICAL FACTORS: Deposits of fossil fuels are only found in a limited
number of locations.
ECONOMIC FACTORS: In poor countries foreign direct investment is
often essential for the development of energy resources.
POLITICAL FACTORS: International agreements such as Kyoto Protocol
can have a considerable influence on the energy decisions of individual
countries.

10. PHYSICAL FACTORS AND FOSSIL FUELS
Deposits of fossil fuels are only found in a limited number of locations.
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic
decomposition of buried dead organisms, containing energy originating
in ancient photosynthesis.
The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically
millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years.
Fossil fuels contain high percentages of carbon and include petroleum,
coal, and natural gas.
Other commonly used derivatives include kerosene and propane.
Fossil fuels range from volatile materials with low carbon: methane,
petroleum, like anthracite coal.

12. ECONOMIC FACTORS
In poor countries foreign direct investment is often essential for the
development of energy resources.
Investment in renewable energy was higher in the world’s poorest
countries than the richest ones for the first time last year, according to
a major new report.
A total of about £196.5bn was spent renewable power and fuels
globally in what was a record year for investment in the sector,
according to the Renewables 2016 report by the Renewable Energy
Policy Network for the 21st Century (Ren21).
But more than £107bn of that total, which doesn’t include large
hydropower schemes and heating and cooling technologies, took place
in developing countries such as China, India and Brazil.

13. INVESTMENTS IN ENERGY
Friends of the Earth said it was "shameful" that the UK was being
outspent by "much poorer countries" and attacked the Government for
failing to create the right environment for investors in renewables.
By the end of 2015, there was enough renewable capacity to supply an
estimated 23.7 per cent of the world’s electricity - a figure the UK
Renewable Energy Association (REA) said showed that there was a
“strong business case” for the industry.
However the REA also lamented “political decisions” by the British
Government that it said were holding back the sectors’ growth and
favouring “more expensive technologies instead”.

15. INVESTMENTS IN ENERGY
Friends of the Earth said it was "shameful" that the UK was being
outspent by "much poorer countries" and attacked the Government for
failing to create the right environment for investors in renewables.
By the end of 2015, there was enough renewable capacity to supply an
estimated 23.7 per cent of the world’s electricity - a figure the UK
Renewable Energy Association (REA) said showed that there was a
“strong business case” for the industry.
However the REA also lamented “political decisions” by the British
Government that it said were holding back the sectors’ growth and
favouring “more expensive technologies instead”.
In 2015 renewables worldwide had the capacity to generate 1,849
gigawatts of power, compared to 1,701 gigawatts in 2014, after the
largest ever annual rise, the Ren21 report said.

16. POLITICAL FACTORS
International agreements such as Kyoto Protocol can have a considerable
influence on the energy decisions of individual countries.
The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty which extends the 1992
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
that commits State Parties to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, based
on the premise that:
(a) global warming exists
(b) man-made CO2 emissions have caused it
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997
and entered into force on 16 February 2005.
There are currently 192 parties (Canada withdrew effective December
2012) to the Protocol.