Renewable Energy Use and Energy Efficiency – A Critical Tool for Sustainable Development

IntroductionEnergy efficiency and renewable energy are the "twin pillars" of a sustainable energy policy.Both strategies must be developed concurrently in order to stabilize and reduce carbon dioxide emission (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 2007).Efficient energy use is essential to slowing the energy demand growth so that rising clean energy supplies can make deep cuts in fossil fuel use.If energy use grows too rapidly, renewable energy development will chase a receding target.Likewise, unless clean energy supplies come online rapidly, slowing demand growth will only begin to reduce total carbon emissions; a reduction in the carbon content of energy sources is also needed.A sustainable energy economy thus requires major commitments to both efficiency and renewable (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 2007).Estimates of the world energy use indicate that the demand for energy, by the middle of the 21st Century, may significantly exceed the energy supplied by conventional sources.The shortfall in energy becomes larger after the depletion of fossil fuels, about 100 years in the future.