Energy and the environment have emerged as among the most potent forces reshaping the global economy in the 21st century. The impact of these forces is being felt in many ways and generating a range of responses from public and private sector actors.

Provoke outlines a number of the ways in which energy in the 21st century is becoming an increasingly significant factor of competitiveness. At the enterprise level, it presents evidence of the increasing burden that energy now imposes on many businesses, but also reveals how some companies are rising to meet and capitalize on the challenge. At the industry level, it conveys the sense of enthusiasm and potential that many investors see in the dawn of a new energy future, as they pour tens of billions of dollars across the emerging “clean energy” value chain. Finally, the Discussion Draft highlights the growing attention and resources that government leaders at the regional and international level are devoting to what they perceive as an extraordinary opportunity to address energy, environmental and economic goals in mutually reinforcing ways.