Leading European Economies at High Risk for Energy Security

An evaluation of worldwide energy security has identified the economies of France, Germany, Italy and the UK as being at ‘high risk’ in the short-term.

Risk analysis and mapping firm Maplecroft undertook the study to highlight the risks to countries as they strive to secure stable energy supplies in a time of geopolitical upheaval, dwindling traditional resources and a transition to a low carbon world.

The Energy Security (short-term) Index has been developed by Maplecroft to identify the countries most vulnerable to shocks in energy supplies and price fluctuations in the international market on timescale of days to months. It assesses immediate risks to the availability, affordability and continuity of energy supplies in 196 countries by evaluating energy imports, diversity of supplies, import security and energy costs.

Only three countries, Sierra Leone (1), Gambia (2) and Guinea Bissau (3), are categorised as ‘extreme risk’ in the short-term index. However, a further 122 nations are rated ‘high risk,’ including the G7 economies of Italy (13), Japan (73), UK (90), Germany (104), France (107) and the USA (112).

Maplecroft categorised Russia (192) and Norway (190) as ‘low risk,’  reflecting the fact that the two nations are net exporter of electricity and fossil fuels, with abundant natural resources and a diverse energy mix, which provides flexibility and offsets the risks of price rises.

Read More from Maplecroft HERE