Modern energy planning must take into account a number of interconnected social, economic, ethical and environmental issues. The primary function of the energy system is to help to meet needs in accordance with development priorities, thereby improving the quality of life for everyone. To achieve this, the need for energy services must be met in a manner that is technically efficient and that preserves healthy ecosystems while adapting to climate variations, such variations themselves being largely the result of former harmful practices within the energy system. Lastly, energy planning must also be in line with principles of social justice and of participatory governance, since it is unlikely that an energy system will prove efficient if it is designed and implemented without the participation and full commitment of those whose lives it will affect.
