面对人类社会可持续发展的能源选择

经济增长和人类的可持续发展，需要廉价、可靠和环境友好的能源供给和利用。然而目前使用的主要能源，包括天然气、石油、煤炭、核能和可再生能源，以及它们的主要利用方式，并不能完全满足这种要求，现有能源系统的变革，以提高效率、消除污染物排放、减少单位能量温室气体的释放，是实现可持续发展的第一关键步骤．要真正实现可持续发展，必须在不断研究与发展的基础上，首先进行能源资源和利用技术的创新变革，以可再生资源为能源的燃料电池和氢经济，是满足可持续发展要求的零排放的能源技术中．最恰当的结合，煤炭由于其储量丰富、便宜、安全和使用期长，在这种转型过程中扮演着关键角色：煤气化与燃料电池技术和未来二氧化碳（CO2）的分离与储存技术的结合，可以实现零排放。煤炭利用技术也将提高可再生能源，特别是生物质和废弃物，在可持续能源中的比例和重要性。

Energy options in sustainable development

Sustainable development requires cheap, secure and environmental-friendly energy supply and use. None of the current energy options, including natural gas, oil, coal, nuclear and renewables, and the current ways of their use could fully meet the needs of growing economy and sustainability requirements. Evolutionary changes in the current energy systems to improve efficiency, eliminate pollutant emissions and reduce greenhouse gas per unit energy output are the most important first step in the sustainable development. Revolutionary technology innovations in energy sources and use, through continuing R&D effort, must occur before a genuine sustainable state could be reached. In searching for the zero-emission energy technologies as required by the sustainability principles, fuel cells and hydrogen economy, powered by renewable sources, are found to provide the most appropriate combination. Coal has a critical role to play in the transition path towards such sustainability, for it is abundant, cheap, secure, and long-term available. Coal gasification, combined with fuel cells technology and future advancement in CO2 sequestration and storage, can achieve zero-emission. The coal technologies will also provide renewable energy, particularly biomass and wastes, a real opportunity to grow its contribution in the sustainable energy mix.