Izazovi održivog razvoja u energetskom sektoru

The application of the principles of sustainable development is one of the basic requirements of the modern economy. Fulfilment of the given principles is especially important in the branches of economy which are the biggest polluters of the environment, such as the energy sector. This paper discusses the challenges that arise in the sustainable development of the energy sector, considering its specificity and importance for the overall economic and social development. In studying this subject matter, we start from the consideration of the role and importance of sustainable development in the joint economy; then, we focus on the problems of the application of sustainable development in the energy sector, while in the final part of the paper, we conduct a comparative analysis of certain indicators of the energy sector in the EU countries and Serbia which concern its sustainability, such as energy efficiency, energy security, use of renewable sources and others. We conclude that a prerequisite for the sustainable development of this sector is the adoption of an adequate energy policy, since the application of the principles and various elements of sustainable development implies appropriate investments, adequate technological solutions, as well as a certain amount of time to achieve the desired effects. That is why a green and sustainable economy implies the implementation of the reforms that would enable energy transition, which would, in turn, contribute both to an increase in energy efficiency and to greater use of renewable energy sources and clean energy technologies.