Sectoral energy consumption in Iran

The gradual changes in the world development have brought energy issues back into high profile. An ongoing challenge for countries around the world is to balance the development gains against its effects on the environment. The energy management is the key factor of any sustainable development program. All the aspects of development in agriculture, power generation, social welfare and industry in Iran are crucially related to the energy and its revenue. The impact of energy production, distribution and consumption grows more severe with every decade. The growing number of people predicates a rapid growth in demand in the coming years. In order to ensure a sustainable path of development, it is necessary to find a way to reconcile production and consumption with its impact on natural resources. The emphasis should be placed on the development, implementation and transfer of cleaner, more efficient technologies. Iran is on the rising energy intensity curve. We have to learn from the experience of other developed countries and make the necessary transition towards sustainable management of natural resources. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.