Gearing up for the future

MANILA, Philippines – We often take energy for granted. Our daily activities require energy – to power our vehicles, take a shower, cook our food, and run factories – yet we don’t practice proper resource management. 

The inefficient use of natural resources and energy continues, especially in developing countries where population growth is most significant. Developed countries are often very wasteful. The combined annual food waste from Europe and the United States alone, for example, could feed about 1.5 billion people, notes Jeremy Bentham, Shell Vice President for Global Business Environment.

As consumers of these resources, we need to help use them efficiently as we face the possibility of demand exceeding supply. 

In 2050, it is estimated that the world’s population will reach 9 billion, up from 7 billion today. According to Bentham, “It’s like adding another China and India into the world.”

By then 75% of the world’s population will have moved in to cities – up from around 50% today – and almost 3 billion or 40% of the world’s population will have joined the middle classes. This means more people will have access to clean water, more food, and modern energy.

Demand for these vital resources continues to rise significantly. To keep up, we will need 40-50% more energy, water and food by 2030.

Population growth, a rise in consumer demand and climate change are placing significant stress on energy, water and food – creating the so-called “stress nexus.”

These 3 vital resources are strongly interlinked. Water is required to produce energy; energy is needed to supply, purify, distribute and treat water; and both water and energy are needed to produce food.

We need to find innovative ways to use and produce all these resources, helping to shape a sustainable future for the world. At the same time, the world must reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to avoid the most serious consequences of climate change – including a threat to the availability of these resources.

It’s a challenge that must be faced head-on to ensure our survival in the years to come.

Powering progress together

Shell, as a leading energy company, has taken the initiative to help address the challenge. It has long been preparing for the future challenges of energy, using advanced technologies and taking an innovative approach to help deliver cleaner energy and better manage its own water use.

It is producing more natural gas, the cleanest-burning fossil fuel, producing low-carbon biofuel, and putting in place steps to reduce energy use from its own operations. In 2012, Shell spent $1.3 billion on research and development – more than any other oil and gas company – including investment in alternative energies and carbon capture and storage.

Shell has also taken steps to limit the water use at a number of its sites. Together with others, it has developed a methodology to estimate more accurately the amount of water needed to generate energy from different sources, using different technologies and in different locations.

Instead of waiting for others to take the first step, Shell believes it can remain a pioneer and encourage others to follow. It has brought together leading academics, government officials, non-governmental organizations and CEOs from different industries to discuss the stress nexus and how to best tackle the challenges surrounding the future of energy.

These discussions take place at the Shell Powering Progress Together forums, where leaders and experts consider how we can become more resilient to the changing world.

This year the Philippines will host a Shell Powering Progress Together forum. It is the first country in Asia to hold this global platform, designed to foster debate that will identify challenges and solutions to the stress nexus.

The event will be held in Manila Hotel on Thursday, February 6.

Manila is the ideal place to unite a diverse range of participants from across the world, highlighting the challenges surrounding energy-water-food in Asia and beyond.

Philippine residents believe the most important factor in building future energy needs is collaboration between community, industry and government, according to a Shell survey.

The forum in Manila will bring together around 350 business leaders, government officials and other experts from around the world. This will highlight the energy-water-food nexus in Asia – home to around 60% of global population and some of the most polluted cities on the planet. Asian populations will continue to increase in the years to come, which cause pressure on the region’s natural resources.

Shell Powering Progress Together will take place on the first day of Shell Eco-marathon Asia, a competition that challenges students to design, build and drive cars that must travel the furthest on the least energy. This pushes the boundaries of fuel efficiency and sparks debate around the future of transport. 

These two events mark an exciting kick-off to celebrate Shell’s 100^th year in the Philippines and provide a platform for new collaborations that are essential to a brighter global future. – Rappler.com

Sources:

Mobility Challenge Moves from Malaysia to the Philippines

PPT 2014 communications plan

Future of Energy Toolkit

PPT Manila 2014, presented to Ateneo de Manila University

Water, Energy and Food Security in the Urban Context, speech by Jeremy Bentham, Jeremy Bentham, Shell Vice President for Global Business Environment

Asia’s Energy Future, speech by Peter Voser, Former CEO of Royal Dutch Shell plc

Water, Energy and the Resource Consumption Puzzle: It’s Time for Solutions, speech by Peter Voser, Former CEO of Royal Dutch Shell plc

Stress Nexus Booklet

Stress Nexus Op Ed