Developing energy solutions that positively impact issues related to economic growth, the environment and social equity in cities is important. A better understanding of urban energy use, particularly in developing countries, can strengthen energy security, climate change mitigation and local pollution abatement. This study seeks to evaluate the trends in energy use and CO2 emissions in Bogotá by determining energy flows through input and output analyses. The study establishes a relationship between energy and sustainable development by applying correlation analyses. Bogotá consumes 24% of the electricity produced in the country, generates 96010.1 TJ of the gross energy, and emits CO2, NOx and CO (carbon monoxide). Correlation analyses indicate a strong and direct relationship between energy, economic variables and social variables, with the majority of the correlation coefficients exceeding 0.8. Strong positive correlations are particularly observed between energy consumption, the gross domestic product, the human development index and CO2 emissions. Energy per capita and CO2 emissions per capita also strongly correlate with the human development index and GINI coefficients. These results demonstrate that energy increasingly influences the development, economic growth and welfare of the city population. Thus, formulating strategies that will improve energy use in cities is important. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.