https://ebookmass.com/product/sustainable-energy-management-
Instant digital products (PDF, ePub, MOBI) ready for you
Download now and discover formats that fit your needs...
Sustainable food supply chains : planning, design, and control through interdisciplinary methodologies Accorsi
https://ebookmass.com/product/sustainable-food-supply-chains-planningdesign-and-control-through-interdisciplinary-methodologies-accorsi/
ebookmass.com
Production Planning and Control D.R. Kiran
https://ebookmass.com/product/production-planning-and-control-d-rkiran/
ebookmass.com
PGPR Amelioration in Sustainable Agriculture: Food Security and Environmental Management Kumar
https://ebookmass.com/product/pgpr-amelioration-in-sustainableagriculture-food-security-and-environmental-management-kumar/
ebookmass.com
Environmental Science: A Global Concern 15th Edition
William Cunningham
https://ebookmass.com/product/environmental-science-a-globalconcern-15th-edition-william-cunningham/
ebookmass.com
Wardlaw's Contemporary Nutrition, 11st Edition Anne M. Smith
https://ebookmass.com/product/wardlaws-contemporary-nutrition-11stedition-anne-m-smith/
ebookmass.com
African Farmers, Value Chains and Agricultural Development
Alan De Brauw Erwin Bulte
https://ebookmass.com/product/african-farmers-value-chains-andagricultural-development-alan-de-brauw-erwin-bulte/
ebookmass.com
The Vintage Dress Shop in Primrose Hill: Part One: A New Look Annie Darling
https://ebookmass.com/product/the-vintage-dress-shop-in-primrose-hillpart-one-a-new-look-annie-darling/
ebookmass.com
Populism, Punishment and the Threat to Democratic Order: The Return of the Strong Men John Pratt
https://ebookmass.com/product/populism-punishment-and-the-threat-todemocratic-order-the-return-of-the-strong-men-john-pratt/
ebookmass.com
Into the Fire: A LitRPG Fantasy Cooking Adventure (Morcster Chef Book 2) Actus
https://ebookmass.com/product/into-the-fire-a-litrpg-fantasy-cookingadventure-morcster-chef-book-2-actus/
ebookmass.com
Betrayed Wolf Mate: Rejected Mate Wolf Shifter Romance (Silver Wolves Black Ops Book 5) Ruby Knoxx
https://ebookmass.com/product/betrayed-wolf-mate-rejected-mate-wolfshifter-romance-silver-wolves-black-ops-book-5-ruby-knoxx/
ebookmass.com
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT Planning,
Implementation, Control,andSecurity
SecondEdition
MIRJANARADOVANOVI C
ProfessorofEnergyandEnvironment,EduconsUniversity, SremskaKamenica,RepublicofSerbia
AcademicPressisanimprintofElsevier
125LondonWall,LondonEC2Y5AS,UnitedKingdom 525BStreet,Suite1650,SanDiego,CA92101,UnitedStates 50HampshireStreet,5thFloor,Cambridge,MA02139,UnitedStates TheBoulevard,LangfordLane,Kidlington,OxfordOX51GB,UnitedKingdom Copyright©2023ElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.
Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic ormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,oranyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem, withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.Detailsonhowtoseekpermission,further informationaboutthePublisher’spermissionspoliciesandourarrangementswithorganizations suchastheCopyrightClearanceCenterandtheCopyrightLicensingAgency,canbefoundatour website: www.elsevier.com/permissions
Thisbookandtheindividualcontributionscontainedinitareprotectedundercopyrightbythe Publisher(otherthanasmaybenotedherein).
Notices
Knowledgeandbestpracticeinthisfieldareconstantlychanging.Asnewresearchandexperience broadenourunderstanding,changesinresearchmethods,professionalpractices,ormedical treatmentmaybecomenecessary.
Practitionersandresearchersmustalwaysrelyontheirownexperienceandknowledgeinevaluating andusinganyinformation,methods,compounds,orexperimentsdescribedherein.Inusingsuch informationormethodstheyshouldbemindfuloftheirownsafetyandthesafetyofothers,including partiesforwhomtheyhaveaprofessionalresponsibility.
Tothefullestextentofthelaw,neitherthePublishernortheauthors,contributors,oreditors,assume anyliabilityforanyinjuryand/ordamagetopersonsorpropertyasamatterofproductsliability, negligenceorotherwise,orfromanyuseoroperationofanymethods,products,instructions,orideas containedinthematerialherein.
ISBN978-0-12-821086-4
ForinformationonallAcademicPresspublications visitourwebsiteat https://www.elsevier.com/books-and-journals
Publisher: CharlotteCockle
AcquisitionsEditor: PeterAdamson
EditorialProjectManager: SaraValentino
ProductionProjectManager: SojanP.Pazhayattil
CoverDesigner: VickyPearsonEssar
TypesetbySTRAIVE,India
Acknowledgments
ThisbookispartoftheJeanMonnetErasmus+projecttitled“Thecircular economy:‘thenumberonepriority’fortheEuropeanGreenDeal,”ReferenceNumber:619927-EPP-1-2020-1-BG-EPPJMO-PROJECT. ThebookwastranslatedbyMrs.SanelaS ˇ ipragic Ðokic.
CHAPTER1 Introduction
Sustainabledevelopmentisacomprehensiveconceptofdevelopmentthat wasadoptedinordertopreservetheplanet’sresourcestotheextentthatwill satisfytheneedsofpresentgenerationswithoutcompromisingtheabilityof thenextgenerationtomeetthesameneeds.Theconceptiscomprehensive, multidimensional,andmultidisciplinary,anditcanbeappliedwidely.
Thestudyofsustainabledevelopmentinvolvesconsideringthewhole rangeofrelevantissues,mechanisms,solutions,andcriticalattitudes.Currently,thereisnosingleconceptofsustainabledevelopmentthatcanbeuniversallyappliedinallareasofhumanactivitythroughouttheworld,anditis necessarytoexamineitinsomesectorsthatareofspecialinterestforacertain rangeofissues.
Sincethecreationofcontemporarymankind,especiallywiththeprogressivedevelopmentofhumanactivities,therehasbeenaneedfortheprovisionandconsumptionofcertaintypesandamountsofenergy.Every activityisrelatedtothependingchargesofenergythatarecreated,transferred,transformed,andconsumed.
Energyproductionandconsumptionareaspecialprobleminthemodernworld,anditneedstobeunderstoodonseveralgrounds.Firstofall,with aproportionalincreaseinpopulation,thereisanincreasingneedfortheprovisionofsufficientenergy.Giventhenatureofpopulationgrowthand inabilitytostopthisgrowingtrend,theproblemofprovidingenergyfor allhumanneedsbecomesglobalandconstant(Radovanovic,Dodic,& Popov,2013).
Energyneedsareverydifferentindifferentpartsoftheworld.Thehighestenergyconsumption,sincethebeginningoftheIndustrialRevolutionin thelate18thcentury,hasbeenfoundinthemostdevelopedcountries.Consumptionoflargeamountsofenergyhasbroughtthesecountriesasignificanteconomicadvantageandcreatedtheneedtofaceaconstant requirementofprovidingsufficientenergyforfutureeconomicandsocial development(Arto,Capella ´ n-Perez,Lago,Bueno,&Bermejo,2016).
Energyconsumptionintheworldcanbedefinedandmeasuredonseveralgrounds,butthemostsuitableistheenergyconsumptioninthetotal
amountoftime,insomeregions,aswellasenergyconsumptionfromparticularsources.
Thetotalenergyconsumptionintheworldundergoescomplexmonitoringandcontrol,whichhasmultipleobjectives.Firstofall,monitoringof energy-relatedindicatorsintheworldisnecessarybecauseitprovidesinsight intothegeneralsituationoftheenergysector,helpsidentifythedifferences amongparticularregions,aswellasunderstandthetrendsandpredictfuture tendencies.Trackingenergy-relatedindicatorsrequiresextremelycomplex measurements,sothataccuratedatacanbeobtainedonlyafterseveralyears. Theframeworkoverviewofenergyconsumptionintheworlduntil2010 withprojectionsupto2050isshownin Fig.1.1.
Energyconsumptionhasbeenmeasuredinanorganizedandpreciseway since1965.Powerconsumptionintheworldischaracterizedbythree periods.Inthebaseyear1965,energyconsumptionintheworldwasless than5TW.Outofthe5TW,thelargestportionwasprovidedbyexploitationoftraditionalsources(oilandcoal),almostinequalratios.Halfthat amountsofenergywasobtainedfromgas,andtheleastamountwasobtained byexploitationofwaterenergy.Eventhen,1%ofenergywasobtainedfrom nuclearpowerplants(Paul,Michael,&Jim,2015).
Fig.1.1 Globalenergydemand. (BasedonGlobalEnergy&CO2 StatusReport.(2019). https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/23f9eb39-7493-4722-aced-61433cbffe10/ Global_Energy_and_CO2_Status_Report_2018.pdf.)
Inthesecondperiod,whichstartedin1970,theenergyconsumptionof petroleumwasdoubledandreacheditsmaximumin1980.Consumptionof coalwasalsogrowing,butitwasmuchslowerandmorebalanced.Energy consumptionincreasedsteadilyfromgas,whichcanbepartlyexplainedby populationgrowthandtechnology.Thehugeincreaseinconsumptionof petroleumcanbeunderstoodonlybecauseoftheincreaseintraffic.Inthis period(from1980to1990),theconsumptionofwaterresourcesremainedat thesamelevels,andtheconsumptionofenergyfromnuclearsourcesgrew slowlybutnotsignificantly.
Thethirdperiodbeganin1990andischaracterizedbythebeginningofa stableandbalancedgrowthinenergyconsumptionfromtraditionalsources. Consumptionofoilandgascontinuedtogrowalmostevenly,whilethe consumptionofcoalwasstabilizedandevenslightlyreducedbytheend oftheperiod.Productionofenergyfromwaterandnuclearsourcesreached itspeakin1990,andtherewerenosignificantchangesuntil2000.
Inthebeginningofthenewmillennium,byashiftinthethirddistinct period,energyconsumptionfromoilandgascontinuedtogrowatthesame pace,whiletheconsumptionofenergyobtainedfromcoal,afteradecadeof stabilization,begantogrowagain.Attheendofthethirdperiod,in2019,for whichtheprecisedataisavailable,thetotalworldenergyconsumptionwas lessthan15TW,threetimesmorethanwhatwasrecorded40yearsearlier (WorldEnergyOutlookReport,2019).
Thereasonsforincreasedconsumptionandrelatedpredictionsare numerousandcomplexandincludetheincreaseinthenumberofpeople intheworld,improvementoftheneedsofindustryandtransport,inefficient consumption,andpoorenergyefficiencyindicators.Whateverthereasons, thislargeconsumptionofenergy,apartfromtheexhaustionoftheworld energyresources,hasledtosignificantenvironmentalconsequences.All ofwhichraisestheneedforastrategicredirectinginthefieldofenergymanagementatalllevels,withtheknowledgethatenergyconsumptionis uneveninsomepartsoftheworld,asshownin Fig.1.2.
Alongwiththemonitoringofthetotalconsumptionofenergyinthe world,themonitoringofenergyconsumptioninsomeregionsoftheworld isconnectedwithanumberofproblems,sofinalestimatescannotbeconsideredabsolutelyaccurate,althoughtheyprovidevaluableinformation abouttheapproximatevaluesofenergyconsumption.
ThehighestenergyconsumptioncanbeseenintheUnitedStates,Canada,Norway,andSaudiArabia,whichcanbelargelyexplainedbythehigh leveloftechnologicaldevelopmentandlivingstandards,aswellasthe
Fig.1.2 WorldEnergyConsumptionin2021. (BasedonWorldEnergyData.https://www.worldenergydata.org/world-final-energy/.)
intensityoftraffic.Somewhatweakerconsumptionhasbeenrecordedin Russia,Scandinavia,andAustralia.Comparedwiththefirstgroupofcountries,withthehighestenergyconsumption(indicatedabove),theEuropean countries,Japan,SouthAfrica,andArgentinaspendhalfthatenergy,followedbytheEasternEuropeancountries.Evenlowerpowerconsumption hasbeenrecordedinBrazil,andthelowestinAfricaandtheFarEast.
Energyconsumptioninsomeregionsdependsonmanyfactors,butitis evidentthatitisrelatedtothequestionofwhethertheregionalsoproduces theenergy.Countrieswiththelargestenergyreservesarealsothebiggest consumersofenergy,whichcannotnecessarilybeconsideredjustified. TheEuropeancountriesaremainlywell-developedcountries,withhigher valuesofenergyefficiency,whichismainlyduetothegreateffortsforrationalmanagementofenergy(Fawcet,Rosenow,&Bertoldi,2019).
Consumptionofenergypersectoralsohasitsparticularities.
Fromthebeginningoftheindustrialrevolution(technicalandtechnologicalimprovementsandexpansionoftransport),energyfromoilismostly used,andone-thirdoftheworld’senergyneedsisprovidedinthatway. Apartfromthis,thetrendofoilconsumptionisobvious.Overtheyears, oilconsumptionhascontinuedtogrowandthattrendisexpectedtocontinue.Somewhatlessenergyisobtainedbyexploitationofcoal(25%),but thattrendhasdecreased,whichcanbeexplainedbyspecifictechnological processesandtheuseofautomobilesthatcannotusecoalasfuel.Aboutonefifthofworldenergydemandisobtainedbytheexploitationofgas(World EnergyOutlookReport,2019).
Theremainingquantitiesofenergyareprovidedinthesameproportion ofenergyfromthebiomass(11%),nuclear(6.4%)energy,andwatercourses (21%).Exploitationofnuclearenergyislimitedtocountrieswheresuch productionisallowed.Theleastquantitiesofenergyareobtainedfromalternativesources(2.2%).Theaveragegeneralvalueshavebeenpresented,butit shouldbeemphasizedthattherearesignificantdifferencesincertaincountriesandregions(WorldEnergyBalances,2020).
Takingintoaccounttheenergydependenceofdevelopedcountriesand theunevendistributionofenergyresources,productionanddistributionof energyhavebecomeaproblemofparticularinternationalpoliticalandeconomicimportance.Energyinallitsformshasbecomeasubjectofinternationaltrade,numerousdisputes,negotiations,andmilitaryconflicts.Since thedemandforenergyontheplanetisconstantlygrowing,itwilloccupy amoreimportantplaceinglobaleconomicandpoliticalchangesinthe future.
Withthedevelopmentofawarenessandresponsibilityofindividualsand businessesandcountrieswiththeobjectivetorespondtothegrowingnumberofenvironmentalproblems,theconceptofsustainabledevelopmenthas beendefinedtoseekoptionsforsuccessfulsolutionstotheenvironmental problems,includingenergyexploitationandconsumption,whichareconnectedwithsubstantialnegativeenvironmentalimpact.Theproblemof providingsufficientenergyisoneofthemainchallengesofsustainable developmentandclearlybreaksthetrendofuncontrolledenergyconsumptionandimplicitlyimposestheneedforchangesinthisfield.
Sustainabledevelopmentinvolves,amongotherthings,thegradual implementationofspecificmeasurestodrasticallychangethecurrent approachtoenergyproductionandconsumption,becauseitimpliesdevelopingnewtechnologies,utilizationofnewenergysources,development andimplementationofcomprehensivemeasuresofsaving,andthedevelopmentandimplementationofnumerouslegalregulations,allwiththeaimof raisinglevelsofenergyefficiency,i.e.,tostopthetrendofuncontrolledconsumptionofenergythatinevitablyleadstotherapidandtotaldepletionof existingenergyresources(Lindenmayer,2017).Thesemeasuresarebinding forallcountriesthataccepttheconceptofsustainabledevelopmentandarea partofmanyinternationalagreementsandprotocolsthatgovernthisarea. Theenergyproblem,withtheneedforeconomicdevelopmentonthe onehandandtheneedtokeepenergyresourcesandreducepollutiononthe other,requiresdefinitionofaspecialmechanismtomanagethisarea,which isessentialtotheprocessofplanningatalllevels,incompanies,acrossregions andcountries,andintheinternationalcommunityasawhole(Romero, Linares,&Lopez,2018).Sustainableenergymanagement,withalltheelementsofmodernmanagementscience,alongwiththeintegrationof requirementsthataresetbyimplementingtheconceptofsustainabledevelopment,isaneffectivemechanismthatallowslong-termplanningofsustainabledevelopment.Sustainableenergymanagementisdesignedsothat itsstepsareclearlydefinedandmeasurableanditsgoalsarespecifiedand measurable.Onlythismodelofmanagement,whichisbasedontheimpact ofthefactorsofsustainability,withclearlydefinedgoals,providesquality monitoringoftheprogressofthewholeprocessofsustainabledevelopment. However,insustainableenergymanagement,theimpactthatenergyexploitationandutilizationofenergyresourcesmayhaveonotherindicatorsof developmentcanbemonitored,measured,andkeptundercontrol.
Sustainabledevelopmentconsistsoffoursubsystemsthatareinterconnectedalthoughdifferentinnatureandintensity.Theeconomic,
environmental,social,andinstitutionalsubsystemsareakindofsustainable developmentunit,whoseharmoniousdevelopmentrepresentsthebestpossibleoptionforlong-term,stabledevelopmentandsurvivalofmankind. Energymanagementisakeyproblemofsustainabledevelopmentbecause energyconsumptionreducesthevaluesoftheenvironmentalsubsystem buthaspositiveeffectsonthevaluesoftheeconomicsubsystem.
Sustainableenergymanagementenablesthemonitoringofeconomic andecologicalparametersofdevelopmentbecauseitincludestheexact methodsforassessingtheeffectivenessofimplementation,andthecontrol isbasedonamethodfordeterminingthedegreeofsustainabledevelopment throughmeasuringitsindicators.Definedinthisway,thesustainableenergy managementmodelcanproviderealinsightintothelevelofachievedsustainabledevelopmentasawhole,takingintoaccountthatdeterminingthe balancebetweentheeconomicandecologicaldevelopmentisparticularly important(Siraganyan,Perera,Scartezzini,&Mauree,2019).
Sustainableenergymanagementisdesignedtoprovideamanagement modelthatcanbeacceptednotonlybyindividualcompaniesbutalsoby countriesorregionsthatcreateageographical,natural,andeconomicunit. Thesustainableenergymanagementmodelisbasedsolelyondetermining themostappropriateformofmanagementofthesystemoffutureenergy productionandconsumption,indicatingthemostimportantobjectivesin thefieldofsustainableenergydevelopment,pointingouthowthesegoals canbeachieved,andcontrollingthecomplexprocessbyapplyingthemethodologyofassessmentoftheachieveddegreeofsustainabledevelopment. Onlyinthiswayisitpossibletoplan,organize,monitor,andcontrolthe complexandcomplicatedprocessofenergymanagementinthe modernworld.
References
Arto,I.,Capella ´ n-Perez,I.,Lago,R.,Bueno,G.,&Bermejo,R.(2016).Theenergy requirementsofadevelopedworld. EnergyforSustainableDevelopment, 33,1–13. Fawcet,T.,Rosenow,J.,&Bertoldi,P.(2019).Energyefficiencyobligationschemes:Their futureintheEU. EnergyEfficiency, 12,57–71. Lindenmayer,D.(2017).Haltingnaturalresourcedepletion:Engagingwitheconomicand politicalpower. TheEconomicsandLaborRelationsReview, 28(1),41–56. Paul,E.,Michael,B.,&Jim,W.(2015). Globalenergy:Issues,potentials,andpolicyimplications OxfordUniversityPress. Radovanovic,M.,Dodic,S.,&Popov,S.(2013). Sustainableenergymanagement (1sted.). Elsevier.
Romero,J.C.,Linares,P.,&Lopez,X.(2018).Thepolicyimplicationsofenergypoverty indicators. EnergyPolicy, 115,98–108.
Siraganyan,K.,Perera,A.T.D.,Scartezzini,J.L.,&Mauree,D.(2019).Eco-SiAparametric tooltoevaluatetheenvironmentalandeconomicfeasibilityofdecentralizedenergysystems. Energies, 12(5),776. WorldEnergyBalances.(2020). Internationalenergyagency WorldEnergyOutlookReport.(2019). Internationalenergyagency.
CHAPTER2
Energyandsustainable development
Sustainabledevelopmentasatheory,concept,andideaisacomprehensive frameworkforthedevelopmentofhumankindinthefuture,i.e.,the attempttoplanfuturedevelopmentbasedonpastexperienceandpredicted futureneeds.Theconceptofsustainabledevelopmentimpliestheneedfor reviewingandunderstandingitscomplexandmultidisciplinary,multidimensional,andheterogeneousstructure,makingitoneofthemostcomplex conceptsofdevelopmentsincethecreationofhumankind.
Anyhumanactivitycanbeobservedfromdifferentpointsofviewand evaluatedonseveralgrounds.Sustainabledevelopment,however,beingthe startingassumptionandthebasiccriterionfortheacceptanceoftheidea, requiresthattheobservedactivity,event,orassetatanystageofitsimplementation,development,andconsumptionnothaveanydetrimentaleffect ontheenvironment.Broadly,sustainabledevelopmentistheneedto encourageandallowtheperformanceofonlythoseactivitiesthatdonot haveadetrimentalimpactonthequalityoflifeoffuturegenerations.
Takingintoaccountthedifferenttypesofhumanactivities,diversityof resources,andwaysoftheirexploitationandconsumption,itisnecessaryto studycertainaspectsofsustainabledevelopment(economic,environmental, andsocial)asaseparatephenomenon,butalsoconsideritsrelationshipwith allotherparametersofsustainability.
Definitionofsustainabledevelopment
Sustainabledevelopmentisarecentlyacceptedconceptofdevelopmentthat hasemergedasaresultofthefactthatthedevelopmentofcivilizationhas exhaustednaturalresourcestotheextentthattheearthhasbecomeunsustainable,thuschallengingtheprospectsofdevelopmentandsurvivalof futuregenerations.Theawarenessoftheneedforpreservationandrestorationofnaturalresourceshasalwaysexisted,asindicatedbywrittendocumentsandoraltraditions.Intheearlyperiodsofhumandevelopment, peopleweremuchmoreawarethattheydependedontheearthandthey treateditwithrespect.Withtheincreaseinpopulation,geographicaldiscoveries,theexploitationofcolonies,andtheIndustrialRevolution,people suddenlystoppedbeinginterestedinthepreservationofthehumanconnectionwiththeearth,anditsresourceshavebeenexhaustedrelentlesslyinthe lasttwocenturies.OnlyafterWorldWarII,especiallyaftertheChernobyl nuclearaccident(Ukraine,1986),waspublicawarenessraisedagainabout existingandfutureenvironmentalproblems(Environmentalconsequences oftheChernobylaccidentandtheirremediation:Twentyyearsofexperience,InternationalAtomicEnergyAgency,Vienna,2006).
Thefirstpublicreactionpromptedauthoritiestostarttolegallyregulate pollution,andinthe1980s,environmentalissueswereraisedtoahigher level,andtheemphasisshiftedfromsanctioningpolluterstoprevention oftheproblem.
Lawsandtechnologyhaveprescribedandfoundavarietyofsolutions thatpreventenvironmentalincidentsordecreasetheirlikelihood.Thescope ofinteresthasalsoextendedtothefieldofecology,andtheneedforconservation,rationalexploitationofnaturalresources,andreplacementofnonrenewableresourceshavebecomeimperativesofenvironmentalprotection.
Sporadicsolutionsandintentionsofcertaincountriestomakeprogressin thefieldofecologysoonencounteredthebarriersthatexistintheformof borders,socialorganizations,andconflictingeconomicinterests,butglobal environmentalproblemshavebeenincreasing,andtheinternationalcommunityisawarethatithastocooperateinthisfield.Theneedtodefinea
newconceptofgrowthanddevelopmentoftheplanetistheimperativethat woulddeterminefurtherdevelopmentofhumankind(Andrews,2020).
Theconceptofsustainabledevelopmentwasfirstofficiallyusedasapossiblemodelofdevelopmentin1987atthe42ndUnitedNationsGeneral AssemblyinthereportoftheCommissionforEnvironmentandDevelopmentcalled“OurCommonFuture.”TheCommissionwasestablishedin the38thsessionoftheGeneralAssemblyin1983,andthereportwaswidely knownas“TheReportoftheBrundtlandCommission,”namedafterGro HarlemBrundtland,theNorwegianPrimeMinisterwhochairedthehistoricsession.ThemostcommonlyciteddefinitionofsustainabledevelopmentisthedefinitiongivenintheBrundtlandreport:“Sustainable Developmentshouldmeettheneedsofpresentgenerationswithout compromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirneeds.”If developmentisdefinedasanincreaseinwelfare,thensustainabledevelopmentcanbeunderstoodaspreservationofwelfareovertime,the Brundtland commissionreport:Ourcommonfuture(OxfordUniversityPress)(1987).
TheBrundtlandCommissionpromotedthepoliticallycorrectideaof sustainabledevelopment,anditsreportissimilartotheClubofRomereport of1972,whichwaspublishedunderthetitle“TheLimitstoGrowth.” (Meadows,1974).IncontrasttoBrundtland’sreport,“TheLimitsto Growth”wassharplycriticized,especiallybyeconomists,anddidnothave asignificantinfluenceoninternationalandnationalenvironmentalpolicy. Thisreportwasseenashighlightingtheimportanceofredistribution,while Brundtland’sreportwasinterpretedasadesirablecontinuationofeconomic growth.Brundtland’sreportbecamenotableduetofourimportantobservations,asfollows(Reportoftheworldcommissiononenvironmentand development:Ourcommonfuture,presentedtotheUNgeneralassembly in1987,1987):
1. First,itproposedtheconceptofsustainabledevelopment,definingitas meetingcurrentneedswithoutcompromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirneedsaswell.
2. Second,itemphasizedthatinternationalcooperationisessentialbutvery difficulttoachieve.Brundtland’sreportpointsouttheproblemsuccinctly:“Theearthisone,buttheworldisnot.”Thepoliciesofdifferent countriesareoftendrivenbylocalandregionalintereststhatdonotcomplywithglobalenvironmentalexpectations.
3. Third,itrecommendedadoptionoftheUnitedNationsprogramonsustainabledevelopmentandorganizationoftheInternationalConference onEnvironmentandDevelopment.
4. Fourth,itsuggestedthestrengtheningofnationalenvironmentalagencies,institutions,andorganizations.
Thus,theconceptofsustainabledevelopmentwaswidelyadoptedquickly. DuringtheUnitedNationsConferenceonEnvironmentandDevelopment,popularlycalledtheEarthSummit,heldinJune1992inRiode Janeiro,Agenda21wasdefinedand ****adoptedasacomprehensiveplan ofactionforachievingsustainabledevelopmentinthe21stcentury.In2003, theWorldSummitonSustainableDevelopmentwasorganized(Rio10+), andtheimportanceofsustainabledevelopmentwasreaffirmedbyindividual countriesandglobally.Itwasalsoacknowledgedthattheimplementationof theideaofsustainabledevelopmenthadnotadvancedsignificantly,and therefore,itwasnecessarytotakeconcreteactionsandmeasurestofight poverty,changeunsustainablemodelsofproductionandconsumption, andprotectrationalprovisionofnaturalresources(Agenda21,United Nationsconferenceonenvironment,&developmentRiodeJaneiro,Brazil, 3to14June,1992).
Oneofthefirstdefinitionsofsustainabledevelopmentwasgivenby Repetto,whosaidthattheideaofsustainabilityisbasicallygroundedin thebeliefthatdecisionsmadetodayshouldnotjeopardizetheprospects forthepreservationorimprovementoflivingstandardsinthefuture (Repetto,1988).
Thisdefinitionimpliesthateconomicsystemsshouldbemanagedby usingdividendsonavailableresources,wheretheresourcebaseshouldbe keptandimproved,sothatnextgenerationsaswellasthepreviousones canlive.Thisviewhasmanysimilaritieswiththeidealconceptofincome consideredbyHicksmorethanhalfacenturyago.AccordingtoHicks,the calculationofincomemakesitpossibletodeterminethemaximumamount thatcanbespentinthecurrentperiod,whileatthesametimenotdiminishingtheprospectsforconsumptioninthefuture(Hicks&Simon,1979).
Morerecently,Solowdefinedtheconceptofsustainability—conceptof elasticity.AccordingtoSolow,sustainabilitydoesnotimplyanobligationto spendnaturalresourcesaccordingtosustainableneeds.Itisnecessarytosubstituteallnonrenewablenaturalresourceswithrenewablealternatives.Also, thepatternofproductionconsumptionshouldbereconsideredandredefinedinordertospendoptimalquantityofresourcesandtoproducelesspossiblewaste(Solow,1993).
Theprincipleofsustainabilityhighlightstheexistenceoffreedomtouse resourcesthatfuturegenerationswillbedeprivedofaslongastheirliving conditionsremainthesameastheconditionsprovidedforpresent
generations.Inotherwords,inabilityoffuturegenerationstouseresources wouldmeanadeparturefromthecriteriaofsustainability,ifthatworsensthe livingconditionsoffuturegenerationsascomparedwiththepreviousones. Althoughsustainabledevelopmentmaybeunderstoodandinterpreteddifferently,theproblemoccurswhenitisnecessarytoformulateamodelof sustainableeconomy.
TenyearsaftertheBrundtland’sreport,determinationofsustainable developmentbecamegloballyrecognizedandthesubjectofdiscussionon thehighestlevelstartedtogetherwithitsglobalchallenge(Conferencein RiodeJaneiroin1992).Therefore,sustainabledevelopmentstartedtobe connectedwiththeneedforcertainchangesatalllevels(local,regional, andglobal),plusintensificationofinternationalcooperation,strongestcommitment,andawarenessofresponsibilityforwell-beingoffuture generations.
Althoughthisconceptwasacceptedin1987,thereisnoproposalforits operationalimplementation.
Onlyinrecentdebatesonsustainabledevelopmenthastheideaofalongtermpreservationofnaturebeendiscussed.Inthepast,naturewasseenas somethingneededtomeetcurrentandfutureneeds,andtheideaofsustainabilitywasnotenvironmental,butprimarilyeconomic.
Asawhole,theconceptofsustainabledevelopmentemphasizesthe internationalaspectofeconomicactivitiesandtheirimpactontheenvironmentandfutureresources.Therefore,theopportunity(directandenvironmentalcost)ofprovidingacertainfutureisinthecenteroftheconcept. Sustainabledevelopmentisconnectedwiththeconceptofoptimalgrowth. Itaimstoestablishabalancebetweeneconomicgrowthandenvironmental degradation.Thecostsofenvironmentalpollutionandutilizationof resourceshaveanimportantroleinmakingcurrenteconomicdecisions, sincetheyrepresentthecostofthedamageinflictedontheenvironment andnaturalresourcesthatwouldbepaidbyfuturegenerations.
Theconceptofsustainabledevelopmentincludes,apartfromeconomic issues,socialaspectssuchaspoverty,socialdisorders,andotherproblemsof socialandpoliticalstability.Italsoincludesdegradation,environmentalpollution,anddepletionofnaturalresources.Therefore,sustainableeconomic developmentcouldmeananincreaseinrealGDP(GrossDomesticProduct),basicindicatorofeconomicdevelopmentpercapita,whichisnot theresultofenvironmentaldegradation,exhaustionofresources,andsocial disorders.Inthisinterpretation,theenvironmentandnaturearedesignated asacertainrestrictiononeconomicdevelopment.Theconceptof
sustainabledevelopmentseekstopreventnegativeeconomicgrowththat mayincreasefuturecosts(Matthews,Allouche,&Sterling,2015).
Thenormativecontentofeconomicallysustainabledevelopmentis definedintherequirementstopreservethenaturalconditionsandenvironmentforfuturegenerations.Theimplicitrequirementsoftheconceptof sustainabilityarethefollowing(Sauve,Bernard,&Sloan,2016):
•Sustainableintergenerationalandeconomicwealthofpeople;
•Ensuringthesurvivalofhumankindaslongaspossible;
•Strivingforflexibilityinproductionandeconomicsystemsand/orstabilityoftheircharacteristics(theirabilitytorecoverwhenexposedto shocks);
•Maintenanceofbiodiversity;
•Ensuringsustainabilityofthecommunity;and
•Stabilizationofthebiosphere.
Thecomplexityofenvironmentalissues,whichareprimarilyaconsequence oftherapiddevelopmentofWesternindustrializedcountries,hasinfluenced theacceptanceofthenotionthattraditionaleconomiescannotresolvethese questionsadequately.Ifthevolumeofeconomicoutputincreases(beingthe resultoftheincreasedconsumptionofenergyandrawmaterials,aswellas thegrowingnumberofpeople),thiswouldnecessarilyleadtogreateruseof naturalresourcesandenvironmentalservices.
Sustainabledevelopmentprinciples
Whilesomeauthorsbelievethattheconceptofsustainabledevelopmentisa newtheoryordoctrineofdevelopment,mostbelievethisisanewconcept whosewiderimplementationwouldchangepatternsofproduction,consumption,andeverydaylife,becauseitispartlybasedonthenewgeneration ofnormativeethicaltheories.Thisconceptisalandmark(“asymptotical ideal”),andtheparadigmofsustainabledevelopmentisneverdirectlyapplicable.Inordertoberealized,thesustainabledevelopmentconceptrequires undertakingofnewactivitiesasfollows(Roche&Campagne,2017):
•Newlegalandinstitutionalarrangements;
•Adequatefinancialandeconomicarrangements;
•Newtechnologyandtechnicalsolutions;
•Promotionandeducation;
•Newmethodsofpubliccommunicationandinteraction,withan emphasisonopenness,participation,andtransparency;and
•Newcoalitionsforsustainabledevelopment.
However,thesesocial,economic,political,ecological,spatial,andintergenerationalprinciplesandcriteriaarestillgeneralandthereforearenot directlyapplicable.Theyrequireoperationalization,whichhasbeenundertakeninmostcountriesfacingthisproblem.Thespecificstrategyorpolicyof sustainabledevelopmentcombinesanumberofgeneralandspecificprinciplesandcriteria.Dependingonthenumber,content,andspecificproblem theyrelateto,thefollowinggeneralprinciplesandcriteriaofsustainability areusuallypartlyoperationalized(Scoonesetal.,2020):
•Theprincipleofstrictconservationandtheprincipleofprecaution.This principlegivesprioritytoenvironmentalprotection.Thisisespecially applicableinsituationswherescientificandotherobjectiveviewsdo notprovidesufficientknowledgeonpotentialconsequencesofthe anticipatedeconomicactivities,sotherigorousconservationofnatural resourcesshouldbeexercisedevenatthecostoflimitingeconomic growth.However,applicationsoftheseprinciplesshouldnotprevent theuseofinnovativeproceduresthatcanbeeasilypredictedtohavenegativeimpactsontheenvironment.
•Intheanalysisofenvironmentalimpactandcostsandbenefits,thecentralplaceshouldbegiventotheprincipleofalternativesolutions,itbeing oneofgeneralprinciples.Whenmoreintensiveexploitationofnatural resourcesisinevitable,itshould:(1)beminimized,(2)usenonrenewable resourcesaslittleaspossibleandrenewableresourcesasmuchaspossible, and(3)beappliedwithrespecttohighandrigorousecologicalandspatial standards.Intensiveeconomicgrowththatwouldbeaccomplishedatthe costofsignificantexploitationandendangeringofnaturalresources, especiallythenonrenewableones,isnotacceptable.
•Theprincipleofrationaluseofrawmaterialsandotherresourcesand inputs.
•Theprincipleofriskreductionisappliedwhenthereisanestimateand economicactivitycanbeunderstoodasanobjectivedangerandriskto theenvironment.
•Applyingtheprincipleofdurability(ofproductsandservices)allowsthe productionofqualityoutput,withreasonablecosts,whicharesocially andmarketacceptable.
•Theprincipleof“polluterpays”andtheprincipleof“userpays”are appliedinallcaseswhereeconomicactivitiesthreatentheecological capacityandendthresholds.
•Dependingonthetypeofactivitiesandtypesofareas,thefollowing principlesareappliedindividuallyorincombination:(1)planning
principles;(2)marketprinciples;and(3)principlesofregulatorycontrol (bans,permissions,etc.).
Applicationoftheprincipleofreusability/usingandrecyclingshouldleadto expandingtheuseofresourcesthatcanbereusedorthatarebiologically degradable.Decisionsonprojects,programs,andplansforeconomicdevelopmentandprotectionshouldbemadebasedontheanalysisoftheirimpact ontheenvironment.Inadditiontotheanalysisofdirectcostsandbenefits, themainimpactofindirectcostsandbenefitsshouldbeevaluated.Market pricesasparametersinevaluatingtheimpactshouldbeusediftheassumptiononthesmoothoperationof(“perfect”)marketmechanismisjustifiable. Incaseswherethisassumptioncannotbejustified,theparametersfromthe classof“shadowprice”shouldbeused,etc.( Jha-Thakur&Khosravi,2021).
Economicdecisionsshouldbebasedasfaraspossibleonsoundsystematic insightsintotheecological-spatialcapacityandextremethresholds,asageneralreferenceandbasisforevaluation.
Theprinciplesofpublicopenness,democracy,andparticipationshould bethebasisforthepreparation,adoption,andimplementationofdecisions onsustainableeconomicdevelopmentandenvironmentalprotection,with appropriateITsupport.
Practicehasshownthatgeneralprinciplesandcategoriesofsustainability arenotdirectlyusableinpreparation,adoption,andimplementationofbusinessdecisionsandalldecisionsrelatedtosustainability.Theseprinciples, therefore,needtobeoperationalizedandgeneralizedsothattheyexpress thecriteriaandthecontentsofaspecificmarketandgeographicspace. Thedisputesoverthevariousmeaningsofsustainabilityoriginatehere.
Whilethereisakindofconsensusaboutgeneralprinciplesandcriteriain termsofselectedinterpretationsofsustainability,differentinterpretations canbefoundincaseswhenconcretegoalshavetobedetermined,aswell asthemeansfortheirimplementation.Insuchcases,certainaspectsofsustainabilityareemphasizedandsomeotheraspectsareignored.Insuchdivision,theaspectsofinterestplaythemostimportantrole.Ontheotherhand, thisisaconsequenceofthefactthatsustainabilityisamultilayeredphenomenonthathasmanymeaningsthatcanbemutuallyincompatible.Inpractice, thereareveryfewsituationswhereitispossibletoimplementalllayersof sustainability,whichindicatesthenecessitytomakea“trade-off.”Given thatsustainabilityhasseveralmeaningsandcontexts,forcommunityunderstanding,thefollowingdefinessustainable:
•Somethingthatprovidescontinuouseconomicgrowthand development;
•Somethingthatissociallyacceptable;
•Somethingthatharmonizestheratioandthemeasureofeconomicand socialdevelopmentaccordingtoecologicalcapacities;and
•Somethingthatispoliticallyacceptable(canbethesubjectofagreement inofficialinstitutions).
Amongthevariousmeaningsandcontextsofsustainability,economic, social,andpoliticalsustainabilityemphasizetheimportanceofso-called intragenerationalequalityandfairness,whileintergenerationalequality andfairnessareofgreaterimportanceintheecologicalunderstandingof sustainability.
Energysustainabilityascriteriafordevelopment
Aparticularproblemtodayandachallengeinthefieldofitsdevelopmentis howtodefinethetermssustainabilityandacceptabilityintermsofsustainabledevelopment.Sustainabilitycanbeunderstoodasaterm,aconcept,a philosophy,anattitude,arequest,oraneed.Thecurrentconceptofsustainabilityhasemergedasaresultofdecadesofdefiningactivitiesandeventsthat areacceptableorunacceptableintermsofopportunitiestomeettheneedsof presentandfuturegenerations.Aparticularproblemistheneedtodefinethe conceptofsustainabilitywhenitcomestoenergydevelopmentandsecurity inthisarea(Lior,Radovanovic,&Filipovic,2018).
Intheearly1970s,thefirstsignificantenergyproblemsstrucktheworld’s socialscene,andthefirstecologicalrequirementsweregenerated.Later, ecologicalregulationsandrecommendationswerestandardizedandcontinuetobedevelopedtoday.Withthedevelopmentofecologyasamultidisciplinaryscienceandanincreaseinpeople’sawarenessoftheneedto preserveandimprovethequalityoftheenvironment,theterm “sustainable”hasbeguntobewidelyused.
Atfirst,ecology,andthussustainability,wasseennarrowlyasasetof rulesthatexistjusttopreventenvironmentalpollution.Inthe1970s,the firstregulationsinthefieldofecologyappeared,butallremainedlimited totheregulationofphysical,chemical,mechanical,andmicrobiological impactsofsomeagentsontheimmediateenvironment.
Duringthistime,withtheriseofawarenessregardingenergyproblems andtheincreasingnumberofcompanieslookingtogainaprofitattheenvironment’sexpense,sustainabilitytookonanewdimension.Itwasatthis timethatgovernmentagenciesstartedmakingreportsaboutthedeteriorationoftheenvironmentandthedepletionofnonrenewableenergy
resources.Thepublicbecamefamiliarwiththeproblemsintheenvironmentanddemandsemergedforconflictresolution.Itwasthenthatecology wasgivenanewdimension,andmanyintensivestudiesaboutthedegreeof exploitationofrenewableandnonrenewablenaturalresourcesbegan.
Thisawarenessresultedintheadoptionoftheconceptofsustainable developmentatthehighestlevelofdecision-makingastheonlyprerequisite forlong-termqualitysurvival.Becauseofthis,sustainabilityhasbeengivena newdimension.
Intheearly1980s,itwassuggestedthatasustainableenergyprocessis onebasedontheacceptedconceptofsustainableglobaldevelopmentand thedevelopmentofsuchbusinessandanyotherstrategythatadoptsthe criteriaoftheconcept.Duringthisearlyperiod,theimpactofpolitical structureandcitizenswasintensified,andrelevantlaws,regulations,recommendations,proposals,andnumerousotherinitiativeswereadopted.The periodoftheearly1980scanbeseenasaturningpointinunderstanding andrespectingthecriteriaofsustainabilityatalllevels.Developedcountries wereleadinginthismovement.Previouslyadoptedregulationsonthepreventionofpollutionofnatureweretightenedandnewoneswerecreated. Duetothedevelopmentofothersciences,suchaschemistry,biology,and medicine,newfindingsweremadeontheharmfuleffectofcertain substancesinnature,andthelistofhazardousandpotentiallyhazardous materialsandactivitieswasexpanded.Sustainablebecameonlythatwhich wasnotonthelistofactivitiesthatthreatentheenvironment.Later,the rejectionofcertainenergyprocessesstartedtakingplace,whichlaterled totheclosingofwholepowerplantsthatwerenotenvironmentallysuitable (Gunnarsdottir,Davidsdottir,Worrell,&Sigrugeirsdottir,2020).
Sustainabilityofenergyatthattimemovedoutofthedomainofsimple monitoringandsanctioningtheworkofpowerplants.Newstrategieswere adoptedtopreservethequalityofenvironment.Long-termsustainability becameanimportantfactorindecision-makingprocesseswhenplanning newpowerplantsorinfrastructureusedforthetransferofenergy.Ecological movementswerestrengthenedalongwithpoliticalpartiesthatobserve ecologyasapriority.Insuchanenvironment,energysustainabilitywasgiven newimportance,asthelivingenvironmentbegantobeseenasunique (global),andpeoplebegantoacceptthemselvesasinseparablepartsofnature.
Humanactivitiesthatdidnotadverselyaffectnatureandmanhimself becamesustainable,whichledtotheexpansionofsavingsofalltypesof materials,thestudyofalternativeformsofenergy,andtheproblemofnuclear powerplantswasraised.Companiesthatwerenotecologicallysuitablecame underattack,paidhugefines,andwereboycottedorclosedforever.
Nothingcanbeobservedseparatelyfromthelivingenvironmentasa whole.Scienceisincreasinglytryingtostudyandexplainthecomplexity ofinteractiveprocessesinnature,andmanunderstandsthatanyactivitythat heundertakeswill,afteracertainperiodoftime,affecthishealthandquality oflifeingeneral.
Itisquiteclearthattheenergysustainabilityofaparticularprocessor activitycannolongerberegardedonlyasasimplesetofnumbersandstandards.Mostpeoplecannot(anddonothaveto)explaintheharmfulimpact ofaprocessbutcanclearlyseetheconsequences.Peoplewantnotonlyto avoidsuchimpactsbuttopreventthem.Awarenessaboutlimitedenergy sourcesandneedfortheirreplacementforthefirsttimebecomespartof strategiesfordevelopmentofcompanies,developmentoftheregion,and theglobalcommunityasawhole.
Inthe1990s,energysustainabilityceasedtobeviewedonlyasapreconditionforthepreservationoftheenvironment.Instead,modernman acceptedthefactthateconomicsuitabilityshouldbeobservedinthebroadestsensepossible.Sustainabilityceasedtobeseenasaqualitativecharacteristicofaprocess,butbecameaparameterofevaluationinallareasoflifeand work.Environmentalrequirementsinthebroadestsensebecamesomething thatmustberespectedinordertosurviveandmakeprogress.
Also,inthe1990s,sustainabilitybegantobewidelyappliedinthe descriptionandevaluationofnotonlyeconomicactivitiesbutalsointhe fieldofpolitics,culture,education,sports,andentertainment.Theenvironmentalimpactofanyhumanactivitywasexamined,andattheendofthelast millennium,developedcountriesraisedawarenessoftheneedforecological evaluationandexclusionofanythingthatcannegativelyaffecthumankind. Theprincipleofresponsibilitytowardtheenvironment,towardus,and othersbecameanintegralpartofculturalvalues,especiallyinthemostdevelopedcountries(Luna-Nemecio,Tobo ´ n,&Jua ´ rez-Herna ´ ndez,2020).
Thenewmillenniumbroughtaboutnewchallengesandproblems,but thedesireoftheinternationalcommunitytomakeecologicalimprovements wheneverpossibleisclear.Sustainability,andthereforethesustainabilityof energy,hasbecomeaphilosophyoflife,andeachindividualiseducatedto supporttherequirementstoliveahealthyandqualitylifeandtobeaware thatgenerationstocomehavetherighttohavesuchalifeaswell.Sustainabilityisnoteasytoachieve—ithastobeapartoflawsandagenerally acceptedhumanvalue.Energysustainabilityisnolongerdesired,itisamust. Ofcourse,mostdevelopedcountrieshavealreadyachievedthislevelofsustainability,butthesituationismuchdifferentinunderdevelopedcountries (Filipovic,Radovanovic,&Golusˇin,2018).
Dimensionsofenergysustainability
Inordertomoreeasilyacceptenergysustainabilityasabusinessphilosophy, itisfirstnecessarytodeterminewhatisdesirableintermsofenvironmental protectionandwhatshouldbestrivedforsoastodirecttheactivitiesinthat way.Definingtheconceptandtheessenceofenergysustainabilityisaparticularchallengebecausethelistofecologicallysuitableorunsuitableactivitiesorphenomenacanneverbefinal.
Energysustainability,especiallyindevelopedcountries,hasbeenbroadly analyzed,sothatitcanfreelybesaidthatenergysustainabilitycanbesought inanyphenomenonandactivitythattakesplaceinthesphereofproduction, transmission,andconsumptionofenergy.Energysustainability,contraryto manyqualitativemeasures,hasakindoftemporal,spatial,political,economic,andcivilizationdimension(Lior&Radovanovic,2017).Itishard tosaythatthedimensionsofenergysustainabilityaredeterminedonce andforallandnotsubjecttochanges.Timewillinevitablybringmany newrequirements,butitisstillnecessarytoaccuratelydeterminethespecific featuresofthesedimensions.
The timedimension ofenergysustainabilityimpliesthatthetimefactoris veryimportantinecologyandincludesseveralmethodsofobservationofthe phenomenainthefieldofenergy,whichcanbedescribedassustainableor unsustainable.First,anobservationismade,aswellasthestudyandproper assessmentofeventsfromthedistantandrecentpast,inordertodetermine theirimpactsonthecurrentsituationandlearnusefullessons.
Monitoringandcontrollingallcurrentphenomenarelydirectlyonthe pastandmostdirectlyonthefuture.Naturally,energysustainabilitymeans conductingappropriateactivitiesnowandunderstandinghowtheywill affectthestateofenergyinthefuturebecauseitincludeswhatismostimportantinsustainabledevelopment—thetimelypreventionofallecologically unacceptableeventsandactivities.Futuremaybelimitedonlypartially andforpracticalreasons,becausethewholeconceptofsustainabledevelopmentisbasedinthelongtermontheprincipleofintergenerationaljustice.
The spatialdimension isbasedonthegenerallyacceptedfactthatenergy sustainabilitycanandmustbeobservedinanyspace.Eachindividualcanand shouldfindsustainableandenvironmental-friendlybehaviorsandactionsin theirimmediatevicinityandaccordingtothatinitiatetheirwishesand requirements.Ecologicaleligibilityisobserved,found,andpresentedat thelevelofsettlements,areas,countries,regions,andsoon.Ofspecial importanceistheunderstandingthatenergysustainabilityshouldbeviewed primarilyfromtheglobalpointofview.
The politicaldimension hasbecomeparticularlyimportantinthepasttwo decades.Numerouschangesinthepoliticalarenaandmisunderstandings andconflictsareassociatedwiththegrowinginsecurityinthefieldofenergy securityofcountriesandregions.Alldevelopedcountriesintheworldestimatesustainabilityofenergy,bothintheirowncountryandtheregion. Becauseofthat,intensificationofpoliticalinterferencecanbeexpectedin determiningenergysustainabilityandallitimpliesinthenearordistant future.Respectingtherulesofsustainabledevelopmenthasbecomeone oftheprerequisitesofintegrationinworldtrends.
The economicdimension ofenergysustainabilityisofparticularimportance,giventhatsuccessfuleconomicdevelopmentandstabilityareof immediaterelevanceforeachindividualandarecloselylinkedwiththe capabilitiestomeettheneedsforenergy.Today,businessesfacegreatchallengesaswellasopportunitiestorespondtoconsumerdemandsthatsend clearmessagesthattheydonotwanttosupportanyunsustainableenergy orenvironmentallyharmfultechnologiesandproducts.Inmostdeveloped countries,thereisnospecialrequirementforeducatingcitizensinthatdirection,giventhattheareais,accordingtopublicpressure,fullyembeddedin theinstitutionsofthesystem.
Thelawsarestrict,efficient,andapplyequallytoall.Businessprocesses arereviewedindevelopedcountriesevenbeforetheyhavestartedtodeterminetheirecologicalsuitability.Substantialfinancialresourcesareallocated forthatpurpose.Companiesthatplantooperateinthefuturehavetoaccept suchrules,notonlybecauseoflegalregulations,butevenmorebecauseof thedemandsofconsumers.
The civilizationdimension ofsustainabilityisakindofsummaryofallthe aboveandincludesmuchmore,soitisparticularlydifficulttodefineand almostimpossibletorestrict.Thus,energysustainabilitymustbeconsidered togetherwiththesustainabledevelopmentofallotheractivities.Modern manhasarighttoliveinaproperlivingenvironmentwithwater,air,soil, flora,andfauna.However,mostimportantly,thehumanenvironment includesotherpeopleandtheirrelationships.Physicalandchemicalparametersarerelativelyeasytodetermine,anditcaneasilybeidentifiedwhatis ecologicallysuitableandwhatisnotandthenmakedecisionsastowhatis ecologicallysuitable.
Inseparabilityofhumannatureandtheinevitabledevelopmentofhuman relationsarethetwomainfactorsthatdeterminesustainabilityinanentirely newway,whichmeansthattheactionsofeachpersonmustbeevaluatedin termsofecologicalsuitability.Manisinconstantinteractionwithnature,
