Coronavirus and the resulting crisis: About the prospects of the world economy and energy

The article is devoted to changes in the global economy and energy that have occurred over the past year and a half. The main driving forces of these changes are shown-price and trade wars and sharply increased volatility in world commodity markets, the coronavirus pandemic accompa-nied by an economic recession and a collapse in energy prices. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the coronavirus crisis on the global economy and energy consumption is considered. Various estimates of the impact of this crisis on the development of economic processes and their evolution are shown, and it is concluded that in the conditions of high uncertainty, all these estimates deserve careful consideration. The main uncertainties related to the economic prospects, including the trajectory of the pandemic, the consequences and duration of measures to contain the spread of the virus, strategies for its re-emergence, as well as the form and speed of recovery of people as the pandemic recedes, as well as shape and speed of people recovering as the pandemic is removed, and the uncertainties associated with overcoming the crisis are identified. The analysis of existing forecasts for the development of the economic situation and energy consumption in the current year, made by the World Monetary Fund, the European Commission, the International Energy Agency, the OPEC Secretariat and other organizations is carried out. Special attention is paid to estimates and forecasts of demand for oil and petroleum products in conjunction/connection with the need to accelerate the transition to clean energy in order to mitigate the risks of climate change, successes in the development of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, and technological development in general. The forecast of investment in the energy sector of the global economy made by the IEA and the main changes in investment activity due to the crisis caused by the coronavirus are examined in detail. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the possible impact of this crisis on the energy sector of the Russian economy and on the prospects for the development of energy in Russia, especially its oil and gas industry. It is concluded that the global multi-level crisis should finally become the impetus that will force us to take real steps towards overcoming the dependence of the Russian economy on raw materials and forming an innovative economy based on high-tech industrial production. This crisis should become an additional reason for the country's leadership to take all possible measures to accelerate the diversification of the Russian economy, ensure the development of oil and gas chemistry and other industries related to deep processing of natural resources, and accelerate the transition to the rails of re-source-innovative sustainable development