World Energy Issues Monitor 2021:

Humanising Energy
Like physical energy infrastructures, it is very hard to re-tool or re-purpose entire workforces overnight.

Workforce capabilities are rapidly emerging as an issue as senior leadership fathoms out how to deliver

ambitious change programmes in double quick time. New skills and employment structures will be

required. Managing the change in work associated with the energy transition will have widespread social

impacts at personal, community and societal levels. Many of the skills associated with existing energy

industries, notably engineering, but also offshore know-how, will be key to delivering the changes.

At the same time, there are increasing concerns about the growing risk of failure of critical infrastructures

triggered by an under-investment shock. This under-investment could apply to building new and

maintaining, decommissioning and repurposing existing critical infrastructures. Energy investments

by their nature tend to be long term. A diverse and flexible portfolio of affordable, net-zero emissions

solutions is possible if the risk of green-only energy technologies prescription in policy is avoided and

investment flows to redeveloping existing sites and repurposing existing infrastructures.

This year’s survey reveals diversity in regional perceptions of preparedness to pandemic crisis, adding to

the list of new energy shocks – cyber threats, extreme weather events (flooding, drought, ice and fores.The
2021 World Energy Issues Monitor is one of the largest surveys of senior energy professionals,
governments and civil society, with this year’s survey collating responses from more than 2,500 energy
leaders

from 108 countries to provide unique insight into what energy leaders identify as the risks, opportunities

and action priorities for their sector.

The survey asks energy leaders for their perspectives on the degree of: a) impact; and b) uncertainty for 25

different issues. Critical Uncertainties are defined as those issue with high levels of uncertainty and impact

and can be considered as the topics that keep energy leaders awake at night. Action Priorities are defined

as having high impact but low uncertainty and are classed as the issues that keep energy leaders busy at

work.

This year’s results are set against the backdrop of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic that has universally

increased uncertainty across the issue categories.

The Issues Monitor Online Tool presents in one place dynamic map views of the Issues Monitor data

that has been collated by the World Energy Council. The maps convey a narrative of the key energy
issues, regional and local variances and how these have changed over time.

The tool allows the preparation of different maps for comparison and allows the manipulation of data

by geography, time, or by highlighting of specific energy issues.

The geographical views can be broken out into a country level.

The time view allows you to see how specific issues have developed, whether globally, regionally or

by country.

Issues can also be viewed according to certain categories such as OECD, non-OECD, G20

countries, etc.

Where specific narratives explaining the country data exist, they are included in the tool.

Customised maps can be downloaded and shared on Twitter.