Event reports
The theme of the XII Forte de Copacabana International Security Conference was “World Politics of Security”. Among other topics such as the regional perspectives of unconventional warfare and the Brazilian approach to world politics of security, the debate also included the issue of “Energy Security in an Interconnected World”.
Nivalde José de Castro, of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Viola, of the Brasilia University, Paul A. Isbell, of the Centre for Transatlantic Relations, SAIS Johns Hopkins University and Dávid Korányi, of the Eurasian Center for International Relations were the panelists invited to discuss the common and joint solutions to ensure energy security in the future. The moderation of this panel was carried out by Leonardo Paz, of the Brazilian Center for International Relations. They also covered important issues such as energy dependence and shortages in energy supply as regional threats to energy security and the implications of low oil prices and the development of shale gas in energy markets.
Energy is a key asset in the production chain of all goods and services. The concept of energy security may be understood as the search for energy independence. But the threat to energy security is structural and derived from the imbalance between supply and demand of non-renewable resources.
Solutions to ensure energy security in the future have to consider the diversification of the energy mix through an increasing participation of renewables (wind, solar and biomass). Diplomacy and energy integration are also mechanisms that should be considered: international treaties can be used to overcome economic, political, regulatory and geographic disparities.
Whereas energy security can be achieved at national level, another major contemporary trend is the decarbonization of energy systems, which necessarily must happen in the great players of the world.
It has also been pointed out that the overall net direction of global energy flows has recently shifted from a net East to West directional flow into a net West to East directional flows. This shift was caused by the emergence of Asia (China and other manufacturers economies), concentrating the demand in the East and a new supply boom in the West due to the shale revolution and the offshore oil drilling. Therefore, the Atlantic Basin is rearticulating into a new potential region in terms of energy.
The challenges ahead are manifold. But common solutions are possible. Thus the importance of including the topic in this year Security Conference.
To access the complete report of the event click here