Finding an effective and timely solution to global climate change and related environmental issues is a major challenge of this decade. The World Energy Council projects future primary energy demand to increase dramatically as populations grow and developing nations elevate their living standards. Three approaches can be adapted to enhance energy efficiency, reduce the carbon footprint, and extend fuel reserves for the future.

The first strategy is to increase the efficiency of energy generation from fossil fuels by adopting new technologies, such as solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC), oxygen transport membranes (OTM), oxy-fuel combustion, and energy saving devices (e.g., white LEDs).