Energy and Sustainable Development

Name: Amarbold Altangerel

Student number: 6530-30-2802

1. How can you define sustainability at the level of:

a) Nation

b) City

c) Household
 2. Research and define the following with respect to energy
sustainability:

a) Self-sufficiency
The energy self-sufficiency means is a ratio between energy production and
consumption. If the energy production of a country is equal to or more than
consumption, such nation can be considered as self-sufficient in terms of
energy. Simply put, self-sufficiency is being able to take care of own needs
without relying on anyone else for import.

b) Energy security
Different organizations have various, yet similar definitions of energy security.
IEA: “Energy security is the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an
affordable price” (IEA, 2018).
Asia Pacific Energy Research Center: “Ability of an economy to guarantee
the availability of energy resource supply in a sustainable and timely manner,
with the energy price being at level that will not adversely affect the economic
performance of the economy (Pacific, 2008).
European Union: “To ensure uninterrupted physical availability of energy
products on the market, at a price which is affordable for all consumers, private
and industrial, while respecting environmental concerns and looking towards
sustainable development (Pacific, 2008).
UNDP: “Availability of energy at all times in various forms, in sufficient
quantities and at affordable prices without unacceptable or irreversible impact
on the environment. These conditions must prevail over the long term.” (Pacific,
2008)
Keywords are: uninterrupted availability, affordable price, not to cause
irreversible harm to environment. To sum all of the definitions above: Energy
security is to possess uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an
affordable price, and to not causing irreversible impact to the environment.

c) Carrying capacity
Most of the literatures and results regarding carrying capacity is in ecological
terms, that reads “The carrying capacity of an ecosystem is the size of the
population or community that can be supported indefinitely upon the
available resources and services of that ecosystem.”
d) Thresholds

e) Planetary boundaries