Low-carbon Energy Security from a European Perspective

Chapter 1

Challenging the Energy Security Paradigm

M. Gruenig^1,2, P. Lombardi³,  and B. O’Donnell^2     1Ecologic Institute, Berlin, Germany     ²Ecologic Institute US, Washington, DC, United States     ³Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning (DIST), Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy

Abstract

This chapter discusses the prevailing energy security paradigm in Europe, recalling the whole process which has led to the Energy Charter Treaty of 1994 and ultimately to the International Energy Treaty in 2015. It poses a number of questions, such as: Can economic development be decoupled from energy consumption? Does geographic expansion of the energy supply chain enhance security? Can the success of the EU's climate policies ...