Environment and Energy

Publications

Energy After Rio: Prospects and Challenges

Analyses the role of energy with respect to the objectives and commitments established at the major UN Conferences.

• Full Publication (1997)
• Executive Summary (English) (1997)

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Table of Contents

1 - Introduction

1.1 Energy in the United Nations Context


Energy and the Major United Nations Conferences


1.2 Energy After Rio: Prospects and Challenges

2 - Energy and Major Global Issues

2.1. Energy and Social Issues


Poverty; The energy-poverty nexus; Cross-country data on the energy-poverty nexus; Considerations on alleviating poverty; The Social Summit and energy; Gender Disparity; Trends; Energy and women's work; New energy paradigms and new opportunities; The Beijing Conference; Population; Population trends; The energy-population nexus; Rural energy consumption patterns; Population implications of village energy consumption patterns; The energy-population nexus at the global level; Undernutrition and Food: Undernutrition; Prospects for increasing food production; Increasing access to and consumption of food; Water, food and energy; The energy dependence of food security.

2.2 Energy and the Environment


Health: Environmental pathway; Fossil fuels; Transport; Household use of biomass and coal; Hydropower; Acidification; Currently impacted areas; Areas at risk in the future; Climate Change; IPCC Second Assessment Report; The energy origins of the threat of climate change; Land Degradation; Mechanisms of land degradation; Bioenergy production as a response to land degradation; The Convention to Combat Desertification; Energy and Environment at the Rio Conference and in Agenda 21.


2.3 Energy and the Economy


Investment Requirements of Energy; Foreign Exchange Impacts of Energy Imports.


2.4 Energy and Security


Energy Trade and National Security; Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Proliferation.


2.5 The United Nations Conferences on Small Island Developing States and Habitat II
2.6 The Global Implications of Energy

3 -New Opportunities in Energy Demand, Supply and Systems

3.1 Introduction


3.2 Demand Side: Energy Efficiency and Materials Efficiency


Analysing Opportunities for Improving Energy Efficiency; Energy intensity as a measure of energy efficiency; Specific energy consumption as a measure of energy efficiency; Opportunities for Energy Efficiency Improvement in Developing Countries; Industry; Commercial and Residential Buildings; Transportation; Shifting to less energy-intensive transport modes; Changing the mix of fuels; Improving the transportation infrastructure; Improving the efficiency of transportation technology; Agriculture; Materials Efficiency Improvement.


3.3 Supply Side: Renewables and Clean Fossil Fuel Technologies


The Growing Role of Natural Gas in the Global Energy Economy; Technologies for Electric Power Generation and Combined Heat and Power; Gas turbine/steam turbine combined cycles; Coal integrated gasifier/combined cycles; Fuel cells for stationary power and combined heat and power; Hydroelectric power; Wind power; Biomass power; Photovoltaic power; Solar thermal-electric power; Managing renewable energy technologies in electric power generation; Solar Heating, Cooling and Lighting for Buildings; Biogas; Clean Fuels for Transportation; Reformulated gasoline; Compressed natural gas; Synthetic middle distillates and dimethyl ether; Alcohol fuels; Traditional biofuels; Advanced biofuels; Transition fuel strategies for fuel cell vehicles; Hydrogen: its importance as an energy carrier for transportation in the long term; Decarbonization of Fuels and CO₂ Storage.


3.4 Fuels and Stoves for Cooking
Appendix A: Improved Stoves in Developing Countries
Appendix B: Research Needs for Improved Biomass Stoves in Developing Countries

4 - Sustainable Strategies

4.1 Global Energy Scenarios


The Efficient Use of Energy; Fossil Fuels; Coal; Nuclear Power; Renewable Energy; Energy and Climate Change in the Scenarios.

4.2 Some General Implications of Energy Strategies for Sustainable Development


Energy and Poverty; Creating Jobs; Energy and Women; Rural Development; Urban Development; Energy and the Economy; Investment requirements; Foreign exchange; Local and Regional Environmental Problems; Local and regional air pollution; Synthetic fluid fuels production and the environment; Energy and Security; Energy supply security; Energy demand security; Nuclear proliferation.

4.3 Conclusion

5 -Making it Happen: Energy for Sustainable Development

5.1 Introduction
5.2 The Larger Context: Current Global Trends
5.3 Policy Considerations for Sustainable Energy Strategies
5.4 Improving the Overall Economic Framework


Accessing Capital for Sustainable Development; Financing Sustainable Energy Technologies via Innovative Credit and Purchase Arrangements; Reducing Subsidies to Conventional Energy; Internalising Environmental Costs in Energy Markets; Developing New Technology; Launching new technologies in the market; Technology Innovation and Growth; Technological Leapfrogging; Seizing Market Leadership for Energy Technologies.

5.6 The Time for Sustainable Energy Has Come
Appendix C: Removing Impediments - Some Examples


Measures to Create Early Markets for New Technology; Renewable energy development in India; The Public Utilities Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA) in the United States; Brazil's Ethanol Programme; The Renewables Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) in the United Kingdom; A Renewables Portfolio Standard; A Measure that Would Raise Funds for Purposes Relevant to Sustainable Energy (e.g. Research and Development): a System Benefits Charge in California; Measures to Advance More Efficient Use of Energy; Market transformation through technology procurement by NUTEK in Sweden; The PROCEL electricity conservation programme in Brazil; The Building Measurement and Verification Protocol (BMVP) for measurement and evaluation of energy efficiency improvements; Energy-efficient lighting in Mexico; Appliance and equipment efficiency standards in the United States; ASEAN commercial building codes; Institutional Mechanisms to Encourage Investment in Sustainable Energy Technologies; Rural credit and purchase mechanism: the Sudimara story for Indonesia; Curitiba: towards sustainable urban development; The rural electricity development concession in Argentina; A wind energy resource development concession.