Release of World Energy Issues Monitor 2021

The World Energy Council published last March the 2021 edition of the World Energy Issues Monitor that provides insight into what policymakers, CEOs and leading experts identify as critical uncertainties and priorities for action globally this year.

This edition analyzes responses from more than 2,500 energy leaders from 108 countries and shows how energy leaders’ perceptions of areas of risk, opportunity, and priorities for action have radically changed over the last 12 months. The economic crisis resulting from Covid-19 is the biggest area of uncertainty, but there is also a growing focus on the social agenda associated with a faster paced energy transition.

The report details an increased awareness of the societal and human impact of both recovery and the wider energy transition and shows that the issue of energy affordability has rapidly risen up the industry's priority list, with its impact and uncertainty perceived 20% larger than a year ago. Energy affordability affects society across all geographies ranging from city dwellers in developed countries to the rural poor in developing ones./p>

Simultaneously the report details the emergence of a new generation of digital energy services and energy entrepreneurs. More agile, disruptive technologies have taken advantage of the social upheaval to gain market share at the expense of supply-centric energy solutions. There is a growing focus on customer-centric demand-driven solutions and fast changing patterns of global and local demand.

For twelve consecutive years, the World Energy Issues Monitor has been bringing together the perspectives of energy leaders from the public and private sectors on key issues that are shaping and driving our energy system. It is an essential tool for identifying, sharing and tracking the critical issues surrounding the energy transition and how they change over time and by region. You can access the full report at the following link: World Energy Issues Monitor 2021

In addition, as in previous editions, the interactive Issues Monitor online tool is available where you can visualize the data that underpins the Issues Maps and create custom queries. You can access this tool here: http://www.im.worldenergy.org/

Conclusions for Spain

Spain, through the Spanish Committee of the World Energy Council (CECME), has once again participated in the report. As the Spanish map shows, the main critical uncertainty this year is the economic evolution as a consequence of Covid-19, which has had a particularly strong social and economic impact in our country, with an estimated decrease in GDP of 11.6% by 2020 (OECD). However, this result has not taken attention away from climate change issues, which are still considered critical. Uncertainties also lie in the need to link industrial and economic development with low-carbon technologies. In this regard, hydrogen has gained great prominence.

The priority actions coincide to a large extent with the results of the previous edition, detecting great opportunities in renewable energies, energy efficiency and digitalization.

Specific information for Spain can be found here: Issues Monitor 2021 Spain commentary.pdf (worldenergy.org)