Description

Traditionally, energy security has been conceptualised as availability of sufficient and reliable supplies at affordable prices. This definition is
too narrow in its scope, as it considers energy security from importers’ perspectives, and outdated, as it disregards the increasingly important
environmental concerns. Moreover, most studies on energy security have focussed on availability of oil and have largely disregarded other energy sources. By analysing recent Asian energy importing and exporting governments’ objectives, policies and strategies, the complex relations between energy security and environmental concerns, and international energy trends and challenges, this paper will offer a correction to the narrow definition of energy security.

The basic assumption is that energy security has a different meaning in different countries based on their geographic location, their resource
endowment, their strategic, economic and environmental conditions and other factors. For example, importing governments’ energy policies are driven by the need to secure energy supplies while faced with dwindling fossil fuel reserves which, environmental considerations notwithstanding, will continue to be burnt for many years; and deliver clean, affordable energy to combat climate change. For exporting governments, and particularly governments of countries that rely on energy exports for much of their export earnings, security of energy production facilities and transportation networks against disruption and security of demand in major importing countries is a primary concern. By focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, and particularly on Australia, China, Japan, and Indonesia, the aim of this paper is to develop a context-dependant theoretical corrective to the oil importer-specific perspective on energy security. The context-specific energy security conceptualisation developed in this paper may provide for a useful energy policy framework for policy-makers in both energy exporting and importing countries in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Dr Vlado Vivoda is Research Fellow at the Centre for International Risk, School of Communication, International Studies and Languages, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia. He teaches undergraduate courses in International Relations and International Political Economy. In 2008 he published a book on political bargaining in the contemporary oil industry. He currently specialises on energy security and mining regulation for foreign investment in the Asia-Pacific region. He has published on energy and mining-related issues in journals including Energy Policy, New Political Economy, International Journal of Global Energy Issues, Minerals & Energy and The Australian Journal of International Affairs.