The core dilemma of today＇s energy policy makers is that energy supplies are apparently plentiful and cheap, while concerns mount over the environmental problems associated with production, transformation, distribution and consumption of energy, Of particular concern to many is the greenhouse effect, because of the potential for damaging climate change in the future without a clear feedback mechanism today to provoke changes in the way greenhouse gases, particularly those from the use of fossil fuels, are emitted, Quantifying the link between energy use and emissions is one important step in developing policy mechanisms to restrain those emissions, An equally important reason for this step is to be able to view the underlying components of energy use and what drives them, providing policy makers with insights on which strategies truly succeed in changing the coupling between energy, emissions and human activity, and which do not, Developing the ability to understand these couplings in an international, cross-country framework provides a key step towards internationalizing this process of restraint, The (energy indicators＇ we describe and analyze in this issue serve that purpose.