Switzerland has the best energy system

London, October 2020

As in the previous year, Switzerland is the best rated country in the world for its energy system, closely followed by Sweden and Denmark. This emerges from an investigation by the World Energy Council. Switzerland scores particularly well with its high proportion of CO2-free energy generation.

Taking into account the three criteria of energy security, equity and ecological sustainability, Switzerland has the most exemplary energy system in the world. As in the previous year, it thus achieved the top spot. That comes from the World Energy Trilemma Index 2020 of the World Energy Council. He created this together with the global strategy consulting firm Oliver Wyman .

As the World Energy Council writes in a press release , this index analyzes historical trends. They are designed to enable energy policy makers and stakeholders to track their performance over time and compare it with others.

Above all, its high share of hydropower gives Switzerland the top spot in this ranking of a total of 130 countries. It is also in the top 10 for affordability. This is thanks to the overall high level of prosperity. Only when it comes to security of supply does the country not make it into the top ten. The Swiss energy mix is not diversified enough for that. Canada holds this top position, followed by Finland and Romania. All three countries have large hydropower resources and invest heavily in solar and wind energy.

The three countries with the biggest leap up in the overall rating are Cambodia, Myanmar and Kenya. This is primarily due to their performance in providing universal access to energy. This criterion, which the World Energy Council calls energy justice, has seen the most significant improvements since 2000, especially in developing countries.

Instruments such as the World Energy Trilemma Index are more important than ever, according to the Secretary General of the World Energy Council, Dr. Angela Wilkinson: "The index enables individual countries to learn from each other what works and what doesn't when connecting the dots between people, planet and prosperity."

One thing is certain, says François Austin, Partner and Global Head of Energy at Oliver Wyman: "The top performing nations achieve their energy goals by balancing politics, entrepreneurship, national resource use and changes in individual behavior with environmental issues." Giving political decision-makers and business leaders the direction for shaping the future of energy ”.

More articles