World energy supply and consumption

World energy supply and consumption refers to the global supply of energy resources and the consumption of the latter. The system of global energy supply consists of the development, refinement, and trade of energy. Energy supplies may exist in various forms such as raw resources or more processed and refined forms of energy. The raw energy resources include for example coal, unprocessed oil and gas, uranium. In comparison, the refined forms of energy include for example refined oil that can be used as fuel or to generate electricity. Energy resources may be used in various different ways, depending on the specific resource (e.g. coal), and intended end use (industrial, residential, etc.). Energy production and consumption play a significant role in the global economy. It is needed in industry and global transportation. The total energy supply chain, from production to final consumption, involves many activities that cause a loss of useful energy.

Total energy consumption tends to increase by about 1–2% per year. As of 2022, 80% of energy consumption is derived from fossil fuels. More recently, renewable energy has been growing rapidly, averaging about a 20% increase per year in the 2010s.

Two key problems with energy production and consumption are greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution. Of the approximately 50 billion tonnes of worldwide annual greenhouse gas emissions, 36 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide was a result of energy use (almost all from fossil fuels) in 2021. Many scenarios have been envisioned to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, usually by the name of net zero emissions.

There is a clear connection between energy consumption per capita, and GDP per capita. As such, richer and more industrialized countries consume significantly more energy per person when compared to lower-income countries.

The Gulf States and Russia are major energy exporters, due to their large petroleum and natural gas reserves. Their customers include the European Union and China.

A significant lack of energy supplies is called an energy crisis.