Our systems of energy production, distribution and consumption are changing rapidly and this is having a major impact on ecosystems, which underpin many of our energy supplies. While climate change is the most significant indirect impact on biodiversity from energy production and consumption, direct impacts continue to take a major toll. Pipeline construction, coal mining and fuelwood extraction all degrade habitat. And there is no sign of a let-up. The 2009 World Energy Outlook warns that global energy demand could increase by more than half from 2004 to 2030 with fossil fuels likely to dominate the global energy mix until 2030. But just because there’s plenty of oil and coal left, this shouldn’t mean we delay the switch to cleaner alternatives.

 

Some facts
  • A person in a low income country consumes less than a tenth of the energy of a person in high income country.
  • In 2006, the USA accounted for one-fifth of all energy use globally, despite having less than 5% of the world population.
  • In developing countries, women and children spend on average 2.5 hours per day collecting fuel wood.
  • Hydroelectricity generation in India declined by 8.4 % in 2008-2009 because of inadequate rainfall.
  • In 2006, France, Spain and Germany had to power down nuclear plants due to the heatwave and lack of cooling water.
  • Biomass provides 84% of all energy consumed in Burkina Faso.
  • Lighting uses up to a quarter of energy in the home. If everyone in the U.S. used energy-efficient lighting, 90 average size power plants could be retired. The European Commission has followed Australia’s lead and banned all old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs by 2020.
  • Renewable sources of energy are naturally replenishing and therefore, if sustainably harvested, are virtually inexhaustible. 13% of energy demand in 2006 was from renewable sources. This is only predicted to rise to 14% in 2030 but has much greater potential.
  • Large, modern gas-fired power stations turn 60% of fuel into energy; the rest is lost in heat. Of that 60%, 5-10% of the electricity will be lost in transmission between the power station and user. Small combined-heat and power plants are already being developed for our homes and offices.

 

Meanwhile, almost half of the world’s population depends on burning traditional forms of fuel such as wood, charcoal and animal dung for their energy, for example for cooking and heating. This is harmful to people’s health, and also means that women and children especially have to spend a large amount of time collecting fuel - time that could be spent on education or earning money.

 

See IUCN’s Human Well-being section for further information.

The resources and technologies are available for us to overcome our energy challenges. Biofuels, wind, tidal, solar and geothermal power can all become part of the future energy mix. But the impacts on biodiversity from current and future energy sources must be better recognized and addressed, and the opportunities that energy conservation provides in meeting sustainable energy needs, promoted. Emerging technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) are likely to play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels in the foreseeable future, and are being explored as part of the solution to minimize emissions generated by the energy sector. Yet the potential risks to biodiversity of these technologies must also be identified and managed.

 

The language of energy
Energy is an essential part of our lives but it means different things to different people. In the developed world energy can mean petrol to run cars, electricity for lights and computers and gas for cooking. In the developing world, energy can mean survival: being able to boil water to avoid disease. When they do have access to modern energy, poor people pay disproportionately high prices for it.

Energy services are the benefits we gain from energy including lighting, cooking, refrigeration, telecommunications, healthcare, education, transport, access to water, and power to run machinery. Energy ‘carriers’ include fuels and electricity and can be derived from both conventional and renewable energy sources. As consumers, it is the availability and affordability of these services and carriers, not the source of energy, that’s of often of most interest. However, consumers in developed countries are increasingly demanding “green energy” from their supplies.