National responses to energy vulnerability

Energy-importing countries combine supply- and demand-side initiatives into an integrated portfolio that addresses price, availability, environmental impact and other broad public values to reduce their energy vulnerability. Brazil's major, demand-side achievement has been to introduce flex-fuel automobiles while its major, supply-side success is in substituting away from imported petroleum toward domestic ethanol in the transportation sector. China, on the supply side, is aggressively pursuing a diverse portfolio of oil and gas imports as well as the transportation infrastructure to deliver them. On the demand side, the new, five-year plan calls for a 20% decrease in the energy intensity of economic activity by 2010, starting with a 4% reduction in 2006. France has reduced its proportional reliance on energy imports due to a large-scale program of building nuclear power plants. The country is now a net exporter of electric energy to other European countries. Japan has made efforts to capitalize on technical advances stemming from its energy vulnerability. This has led to the basic philosophy of the country's energy policy which are the 3 E's namely, economic growth, energy security and environmental protection. The United Kingdom energy policy mix have focused narrowly and pragmatically on restructuring both the supply and demand for energy, exploiting indigenous resources and combining a strong market orientation with strong central leadership. One consistent feature of United States energy policy has been the country's willingness to use its military strength to keep the oil flowing internationally.