Sustainability of current energy use

Resource depletion

Fossil fuels provide most global energy supplies but are non-renewable, meaning their availability will decline in the future as reserves deplete

Impact of new technologies and increased market prices on resource depletion

New technologies and increased market prices may convert more of the resource into reserves so they can be exploited, but these will still eventually be depleted

Economic sustainability

• Depleted non-renewable resources will become more expensive, reducing future affluence
• Commitments made now for long-term expensive technologies like nuclear power could reduce future affluence, but may help secure energy supplies
• Failing to invest in development of future energy supplies may result in shortages for future generations, reducing future affluence

Environmental impacts

All energy resource exploitation has an environmental impact but there are differences in the scale, type, and timing of the impacts. Many environmental impacts are temporary, local, or small, so they don’t affect global sustainability. However, the impacts may combine to be more significant.