Findings reveal that high GDP per capita countries are more likely to be able to score well against one or more objectives of the energy triangle and are best managing the transition to a new energy architecture. Norway ranks 1st place on the Index, where a strong energy policy has coupled with multiple energy resources to deliver cheap, plentiful and relatively clean power, and generated large national revenues.
But high-income and rapidly growing countries still have work to do around environmental sustainability, where they generally scored less well. This is due to both a rapidly increasing demand for energy and the global economic slowdown, which has prompted some nations to reconsider renewables obligations and CO2 targets and caution around deployment of new low carbon energy projects with large up-front capital costs.
Developing or highly resource-endowed countries are among the lower scorers as countries face core challenges around energy access, efficiency and sustainability, and continue to struggle to supply citizens with basic energy needs - estimates show that 1.3 billion people worldwide are still without access to electricity at all. The report accompanying the EAPI also considers how some big issues around fossil-fuel subsidy, water use for energy production and effective management of resource wealth need addressing globally.