Energy Consumption: Preface

Energy is central to sustainable development : it has huge environmental, social, and economic impacts amongst which is its influence on climate change, poverty reduction efforts, industrial and agricultural productivity and environmental and human health. Developping strategies towards a sustainable energy transition is one of the most important world’s challenges of the twenty-first century. The choices that we will make in the coming years about energy will determine what world future generations will inherit. The book Energy Consumption : Impacts of Human Activity, Current and Future Challenges, Environmental and Socio-economic Effects, gives an overview of the key issues, strategies, operational guidelines and policy implications of current research on transition to more sustainable energy consumption. It investigates the important issue of the relations between human activities, energy systems and energy use. It addresses the environmental, social and economic impacts of energy consumption and their interrelationships. Written by academic and research experts in the field of energy, this book develops strategies for an energy sustainable development of the main energy-intensive sectors: energy production, transportation, buildings, agriculture and domestic appliances. It shows the best opportunities and solutions for energy demand reduction, energy efficiency improvement, increase in the share of renewable energy sources, technological progress and behavioural change in the field of energy. Its aim is to guide the reader to more efficient policies and to actions that really will improve the future. The book addresses also the different issues faced by developing and developed countries as well as their relative respective solutions. It sets out various alternative pathways that are open to our societies. Methods of energy consumption assessment and modeling approaches are also discussed. All those who are interested in the energy challenges will find in this book practical knowledge and operational solutions, providing a solid foundation to help make well-informed choices, as individuals and as societies.