World Energy Council & Oliver Wyman Publish Energy Sustainability Index

The World Energy Council and Oliver Wyman released their 2012 Energy Sustainability Index at the COP 18 UN Climate Change Conference in Qatar.  The index ranks countries on the sustainability of their energy systems based on a variety of indicators, including energy supply and demand, energy affordability and accessibility, and the environmental impact of energy use, as well as social, political, and economic stability and strength.

According to the report, the top 10 performing countries are:

1. Sweden
2. Switzerland
3. Canada
4. Norway
5. Finland
6. New Zealand
7. Denmark
8. Japan
9. France

The U.S. ranked #12.

The report found that more than 90 of the countries evaluated are “still far away from achieving fully sustainable energy systems at a time when the supply of environmentally sustainable energy lags significantly behind rapidly rising demand globally” and that even the top performers face significant challenges.  The on-going challenge that countries face in providing secure, affordable, and environmentally-sound energy is dubbed the “world energy trilemma.”