Harald Heinrichs · Pim Martens Gerd Michelsen · Arnim Wiek Editors

Chapter 19
Sustainable Energy Systems
Stefan Lechtenböhmer and Lars J. Nilsson
Abstract
Sustainable energy systems are crucial to all three dimensions of sustainable 
development and thus central for mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable 
economic and social development. In order to play this role, current unsustainable 
energy systems need to undergo a major transition. This chapter first sketches core 
structural features of anthropogenic energy systems and discusses their relevance for 
addressing global challenges. Then, the main elements and strategies to make energy 
systems more sustainable as well as examples on political and societal challenges of 
this transformation are given.
Keywords
Energy systems • Climate change • Millennium development goals •
Limits to fossil energy resources • Sustainable energy scenarios • Energy transition
governance
1 Introduction
Energy use and energy systems are deeply woven into the modern economy and our 
daily lives. Reliance on and demand for modern energy carriers is increasing, espe-
cially in countries with high economic growth rates, and most of the energy comes 
from fossil fuels. Despite this growth, billions of people still lack reliable access to 
modern energy services.
Energy systems are closely linked to the three dimensions of sustainable 
development, and thus, energy “is central to addressing major challenges of the 
21st Century, challenges like climate change, economic and social development,
S. Lechtenböhmer (
*
) 
Wuppertal Institut für Klima Umwelt Energie, Döppersberg 19, 42103 Wuppertal, Germany
e-mail: 
[e-mail]
L.J. Nilsson 
Adjunct Professor, Department for Technology and Society/Environment and Energy 
Systems, Lund University, Box 118, SE- 221 00 Lund, Sweden
e-mail: 
[e-mail]

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human well-being, sustainable development, and global security” as the Global 
Energy Assessment (GEA 
2012
) states in its first sentence.
Future energy systems can be considerably more sustainable. The natural flows 
of renewable energy sources are several thousand times greater than present and 
projected human needs. Many technologies to utilise renewable energy sustainably
are already available, and more are being developed (see IPCC
2011
). Thus, the 
challenge is not mainly about technologies or energy resources. The key challenge 
is rather to change the current direction of development and realise a societal 
transformation where (a) the sustainability of energy systems is increased and
(b) clean energy for sustainable development is provided.
The conversion of the energy system from being part of the problem to become 
part of the solution involves a major transition. For this transition to happen, we 
need future visions, scenarios and roadmaps as well as policies and governance for 
implementing sustainability transitions and strategies.
In the following, we first sketch some structural features of anthropogenic energy 
systems and then discuss how and why they are crucial for addressing global chal-
lenges. After that, we describe the main elements and strategies needed to make 
energy systems more sustainable and show that implementation will need several 
decades. This makes it necessary to have long-term visions and strategies. Finally, 
we give some examples on political and societal challenges for implementation.