A tool to help improve the global energy system

In a series of blog posts around the launch of the World Economic Forum’s Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2013 on 11 December 2012, Roberto Bocca, Senior Director and Head of Energy Industries at the World Economic Forum, explains the tool and how it can help countries to transition to a new energy architecture.

The World Economic Forum in collaboration with Accenture and a panel of independent experts have developed a pragmatic new tool – the Global Energy Architecture Performance Index (EAPI) 2013 launched today.

The EAPI scores and ranks 105 countries globally on how well their energy system promotes economic growth and development, environmental sustainability, and energy security and access – the three elements of the “energy triangle”.

But what makes the index a powerful addition to the energy discourse, and how can it guide decision-makers as they manage complex energy sector dynamics?

A one-stop shop for energy data and analysis

The EAPI is a tool designed to help countries monitor and benchmark the progress of their transition against a series of indicators. Second, it aims to create a one-stop shop for stakeholders where they can easily access transparent and robust datasets and analysis. The EAPI allows countries to take a deep dive into the aspects of their energy system performance that need to be measured and understood, and to compare them with peers.

Statistical insight blended with qualitative insight

The report blends statistical and qualitative insight to show how some high-ranking countries have already begun their transition to better performing energy systems. The trade-offs involved in decisions about energy architecture – the sometimes competing goals of economic growth and development, environmental sustainability, and energy access and security – form the crux of the analysis. The report also highlights where exciting new opportunities lie to speed up the transition to a better performing global energy architecture.

A suite of interactive tools to bring the analysis to life

Alongside the report, the World Economic Forum has developed an online data analysis platform which allows users to cut and compare the data as they wish. This means stakeholders across the energy sector can better understand what is driving or hindering their country’s performance on the EAPI – and formulate targets around this insight. An interactive map of the EAPI results allows users to quickly scroll through the full rankings and understand the scores behind their country’s final ranking.

Raising awareness about energy sector benchmarking

We have made the best tool we can to help countries better understand the performance of one of the critical engines of their development – their energy sector. Our work has also highlighted, on a global basis, aspects of energy system performance that need to be understood, but are limited by a lack of data (around water use in energy and subsidy levels per energy type, for instance). As the index evolves, we will do further research to source or create some of the critical data sets that are still missing from the EAPI and encourage all relevant stakeholders to work towards further data capturing and transparency in the field of energy. We will also drive further dialogue with Governments, Business and Civil society institutions to leverage the insights from the index to enable a more effective energy transition.

How affordable, sustainable and secure is your country’s energy supply?

Author: Roberto Bocca is a Senior Director and Head of Energy Industries at the World Economic Forum.

Image: An employee from an electric company works on newly installed overhead power cables REUTERS/Jitendra Prakash