Energy and development: the rolernof academia in education,rnresearch, and technologicalrncooperation for sustainability

摘要

Over the last decades, the interest of the international community for the multiplerninterconnections among energy, environment, and society has widely increased.rnToday, the close link between energy and development is officially recognized.rnThe 2030 development agenda identifies energy access as a necessary preconditionrnfor human and social promotion, as well as an instrumental right to fightrnpoverty. Nevertheless access to sufficient, affordable, efficient, reliable, safe andrnclean energy is not yet an opportunity for all. In developing countries, the problemrnis critical, but evidence has also risen in emerging countries and, morernrecently, even in developed countries. A new culture of energy is needed atrnglobal level. Innovative solutions and strategies to match the economic growthrnwith the multidimensional targets of sustainability, including environmentalrnpreservation and social inclusion, need to be developed. In this scenario, the academiarnand the scientific community may play a key role by reshaping andrnupdating their traditional mission, based on education, research, and communityrnoutreach, with a vision of the society where the human being is settled back atrnthe center of the stage.