Getting to the heart of the energy debate

IN less than one week's time, global leaders and their delegates will gather in Paris to discuss how governments, industry and society can reach a consensus on how we mitigate the environmental impact of the world's growing demand for energy in the decades ahead.

The controversial debate around the direct causal linkage between energy generation and climate change has moved on to an intensive debate with a broad range of voices, focusing on how to agree and implement long-term, sustainable and realistic energy solutions that balance the needs and demands of developed and developing nations. We all have a role to play in this debate.

To give some context to the scale of the issue that we face, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has estimated that global demand for energy by 2050 will double from the amount of energy consumed globally in 2010. That demand is driven by three key factors: population growth, continued urbanisation, and the de…