The world is entering an era with increased global demand for energy, price volatility, and rising concerns about environmental burdens and the global impact of climate change. Directly or indirectly, these factors have given rise to related concerns such as deregulation and geopolitical uncertainties. Moreover, the challenges related to the energy issue go beyond scientific or technological aspects and extend to access to resources, regional conflicts, pricing and energy infrastructure management.

For Asian countries, the challenge is more critical. Rapid and sustained economic development has placed these countries at the epicentre of growth in global energy demand, which has changed direction from the West to the East, thereby altering the geopolitics of global energy. Climate and environmental concerns are driving technological innovations, causing a sea change in the kind and manner in which energy is used. In turn, these changes have thrown up new energy policy and security challenges for Asian governments. Conversely, the choices and policies that have, and will be, adopted by the Asian countries will have far-reaching implications for the world.

The focus of Asian Strategic Review 2017 is on tracing the contours of the current energy markets, the policies adopted by some of the key nations in their quest to enhance their energy security, and the challenges that are likely to come up in the future.