Badr Jafar appointed to World Economic Forum Energy Security Council

Governments have for years struggled to provide energy security through a mix of policies that have tempered demand and increased supply. But as the remit of the Council makes clear, there is growing evidence that these policies are not enough. Energy exporters and importers are interdependent and increasingly anxious about the reliability of energy supplies, and the global situation has been made additionally complex by this year's Arab Spring, and the geopolitical changes and challenges which will ensue. The Council on Energy Security aims to identify and discuss these challenges.

The Council is part of the World Economic Forum's Network of Global Agenda Councils, created in 2008, and each of which convenes relevant thought-leaders from academia, government, business and other fields to capture the best knowledge on each key issue and integrate it into global collaboration and decision-making processes.

Specifically, the Councils "monitor key trends, identify global risks, map interrelationships and address knowledge gaps". Equally important, Councils also put forward ideas and recommendations to address global challenges.

Badr Jafar's appointment onto the Energy Council stems from his role as a regional business leader, commentator and respected thinker and practitioner on matters of energy supply.

"Everybody knows that energy is key to our global economy, but energy security, the assurance that adequate energy will be available to a certain population at a reasonable price for a foreseeable period of time, is a whole other thing. It is the great challenge of our time, and I look forward to joining the Council and sharing my thoughts with, and hearing those of, my peers and colleagues," Jafar commented.