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Global energy supply and consumption is unequal. Different countries have the potential to exploit different amounts and types of energy, eg Saudi Arabia, Russia and the USA produce most of the world's oil, while the USA, Russia and China have the largest coal reserves.

It is estimated that global energy consumption in 2040 will be 56% higher than in 2010, with the biggest increases largely taking place in developing countries. Global energy consumption is rising due to a number of different factors:

1. Affluence - the richer advanced countries (ACs) are still the major world energy consumers, but emerging and developing countries (EDCs) like China are seeing the biggest growth in energy consumption. This is because the standard of living in these countries is improving rapidly and so more people are buying consumer goods such as technology for the home and cars.
2. Population - global population is increasing. It reached 7 billion people in 2011 and it is estimated to reach 9.5 billion around 2050. Everyone uses energy and so this leads to a greater consumption of energy.
3. Technology - the development of new technologies means that more people are using energy. The use of mobile devices and computers has increased and these all require energy to power them.
4. Economy - factories and offices are run using energy. As countries develop economically, they build more factories and offices for people to work in.