Stakeholders & Attitudes to Exploitation of Energy Resources (Edexcel GCSE Geography A)

Stakeholders & Attitudes to Exploitation of Energy Resources

• All energy resources have advantages and disadvantages

• To ensure that future demands for energy can be met, resources need to be managed in a sustainable way

• There are many individuals and organisations involved in ensuring the demand for energy is met

  • These are stakeholders

  • Stakeholders may include:

    • Governments 

    • Businesses

    • Individuals

    • Local community groups

    • Lobbying/environmental groups

• Different groups will have differing views and opinions. Some examples include:

  • People may be in favour of renewables but may not want them in their area

    • Local communities often protest against proposed wind and solar farms in the UK

  • Government policies may depend on demand and national and international agendas

    • This may include environmental targets 

    • Available funding. In the UK, grants and incentives for renewables have decreased due to a lack of funding

  • The level of development of a country may also affect views

    • Governments in developing and emerging countries may not be as able to fund renewable energy sources

  • Conservationists will be in favour of renewable energy sources 

Fracking and stakeholder views

• Fracking is one of the most controversial energy sources

• There are several differing views among stakeholders

Environmental organisations

• Many environmental organisations in the UK are against fracking, including:

  • The Wildlife Trust

  • Greenpeace

  • National Trust

• The reasons given include that:

  • It increases reliance on fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases

  • Concerns regarding the impacts on the local environment, such as contamination of the water supply

  • That it will disrupt local communities

Government

• Before 2019, the UK government supported fracking

  • It was allowed within tight planning controls

  • Fracking was seen as a way of increasing reliable and affordable energy supply

• In 2019, fracking was banned in the UK

• It was announced that it will only go ahead in future if it can be proved that it is

Local communities

• The views of people in local communities may be for or against fracking

• Those who are in favour state that fracking will:

  • Create jobs and boost the local economy

  • Lead to new infrastructure

  • Mean fracking companies pay the local community for rights to the land

• Those who are against fracking argue that it will cause:

  • Environmental damage

  • Disruption to local communities 

  • Gas leaks

  • Subsidence

  • Groundwater contamination

Businesses 

• Some businesses are in favour of fracking due to:

  • The potential for jobs: up to 32,000 direct and indirect 

  • Additional energy supply, which will support economic growth—up to 22% of UK consumption to 2050