World Energy Pulse 2023

WORLD ENERGY PULSE 2023

The World Energy Pulse, the World Energy Council’s surveys of global energy leaders from nearly 80 countries, provides snapshots of current attitudes and trends felt across the energy ecosystem and delivers global and regional perspectives of crises implications and transformational actions. 

Taken at regular intervals, the Pulse equips decision makers and other energy stakeholders by: 

• enabling real-time decision-making amidst fast-changing situations 
• leveraging new and timely insights harvested across the world energy community 
• informing, catalysing and supporting more effective collaborative actions in energy across the globe 

As the energy sector continues to be impacted by the aftershocks from COVID-19, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and an international scramble to respond to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the April 2023 World Energy Pulse reveals that national security interests and the green technology arms race are considered the greatest obstacles to energy transition progress.  

• 59% of respondents agree that energy independence is critical to securing their countries’ climate-energy-security agendas. However, this ‘me-first’ sentiment is challenged with the overwhelming (84%) acceptance that energy interdependence is the new global reality.  
• 86% of respondents said that effectively managing choices and trade-offs using the World Energy Trilemma framework – energy security, affordability, and sustainability – is the best approach to avoiding disorderly transitions and addressing the new and emerging challenges of climate resilient energy for sustainable development.  
• 64% of respondents continue to be concerned by the pace and progress of energy transitions, nearly double those who expressed similar concerns in the Council’s Pulse survey last year.  
• Leaders are particularly concerned that insufficient action is being driven from the bottom up, with 35% of respondents stating that individuals and communities should be empowered to lead transformations. 43% see challenges around ‘affordability and modern energy access’ as the most concerning aspects of ensuring a fair energy system.