3. Emerging countries: new players on the energy scene

The first fundamental change came at the turn of the 2000s, with the rapid economic development of emerging countries, including the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), Indonesia, South-East Asia and Latin America, as well as certain countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The development of these countries is reflected in a strong growth in their energy needs (figures 3 and 4 ). Demand for oil and gas is rising rapidly.