Five facts about the world’s energy use

The Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2014, released this week, aims to support the transition to more affordable, sustainable and secure energy systems around the world.

Its principal tool is the Energy Architecture Performance Index (EAPI), which measures the performance of individual countries across a range of energy-related indicators, covering three main areas: economic growth and development; environmental sustainability; and energy security and access.

Here are some statistics on global energy systems taken from the report:

1. All the 124 countries covered in the report were ranked from 0 to 1, with 0 being the lowest score and 1 the highest. The highest score achieved on the EAPI this year was 0.75/1. The average of all the countries ranked this year (the sample average) was 0.52/1 EAPI.

2. The average total primary energy supply from alternative or renewable energy sources among the top 10 performers in the EAPI is 41%, compared with a 28% sample average.

3. Of all the countries assessed, 33% are net-energy exporters.

4. The average GDP per unit of energy use extracted in BRICS economies is US$ 5.4, compared with US$ 10 in the European Union.

5. The average contribution of fuel exports to GDP in assessed net-energy exporters in the MENA region is 36%, compared with a 17% average contribution across the ASEAN region.

Read the Global Energy Architecture Performance Index Report 2014.

Author: Espen Mehlum is Director, Head of Knowledge Management & Integration, Energy Industries at the World Economic Forum.

Image: A sunflower blooms in front of a wind generator in Bruck and der Leitha, east of Vienna, September 23, 2009. REUTERS/Herwig Prammer