Energy security is a top priority across all levels of society because a host of global disruptions threaten energy systems and the critical functions they support. Most often, policymakers rely on policies and measurement indicators focused on energy supply to enhance energy security while ignoring demand-side possibilities. However, in a Policy Forum, Nuno Bento and colleagues argue that energy security is not solely security of supply; this limited focus fails to capture the full spectrum of vulnerability to energy crises. "Energy security is more than security of supply because there are other economic, social, and environmental aspects that are also relevant," write the authors. "Demand-side policies offer clear advantages for energy security improvement across many dimensions, including continuity, affordability, and sustainability." To illustrate this, Bento et al. conducted a novel analysis comparing the impact of supply- and demand-side policy interventions across a range of developed and developing nations and quantitatively show that demand-side actions outperform widely applied supply-side approaches at making countries more resilient to energy crises. Many of these benefits to energy security are overlooked by conventional approaches worldwide.
For reporters interested in research integrity issues, author Nuno Bento shared the following in response to a general SciPak question on science integrity-related issues that should be priorities. "I especially commend the increasing efforts to address the important problems faced by society, and doing so transparently, using credible sources, ensuring reproducibility and trust, and crediting all sources and contributors, with particular attention to early-career researchers. Working in these lines, together, we can progress science for the common good."
