Energy Policy
The shift to a global energy system that supports the objectives of
sustainable development depends on the sound analysis of options,
good decision-making by public and private sector policy-makers, and
the balanced consideration of social, economic, and environmental
factors. Timely, accurate information is thus of paramount importance
to illustrate the link between the energy choices policy-makers face
and broader sustainable development issues.
Current activities
Energy economics
A pilot effort with the International
Energy Agency to improve the developing country coverage in
the World Energy Outlook,
undertaken in 2004, is being expanded. The new approach will lead
to better projections of future total energy supply and demand,
costs, investments, and emissions of greenhouse gases in a way that
influences today's energy policies. UNEP is contributing to this
joint effort through a quantitative analysis of the energy, environmental,
and social policies and measures being undertaken or planned in
major developing countries that act to influence future energy demand
and supply.
Capacity-development for the clean development mechanism
(CD4CDM)
Greenhouse gas emission reduction projects, particularly projects
in the energy sector, must be consistent with national sustainable
development goals if they are to be truly sustainable in the long
term. The 'capacity development
for the clean development mechanism' project is building capacities
in several developing countries to provide them with the skills
and resources needed to analyse the technical and financial merits
of projects and negotiate possible finance agreements.
Hydrogen
There is growing global interest in the role of hydrogen as a clean
energy carrier. Drawing on the work of, in particular, the
International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy, UNEP is
helping developing countries better understand the technical and
economic issues involved and their associated policy implications.
A non-technical review of the issues and challenges in moving to
a hydrogen-based energy system has been released on the occasion
of the ninth special session of the Governing Council / Global Ministerial
Environment Forum of the United Nations Environment Programme. A
non-technical summary of the main issues surrounding hydrogen energy
is now available for download in English
and French.
Hydropower
A greater degree of consensus is needed as regards the manner in
which the hydropower potential in many developing countries may
be realized without unacceptable environmental and social consequences.
To this end, UNEP is contributing to the debate on hydropower that
the OECD's Trade Directorate is facilitating, under the auspices
of the OECD 'working
party on export credits and credit guarantees'.
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
The UN
Commission on Sustainable Development will in its 2006 and 2007
sessions focus on energy issues. Through its analytical work on
energy sector policy reform, energy regulation, and energy access,
UNEP is contributing to a better understanding of why some efforts
to expand energy supplies in developing countries have been successful
in reaching poorer populations while others have failed, and the
environmental consequences of different approaches.
UN Energy
UNEP is a member of UN
Energy, the coordinating mechanism on energy matters involving
UN agencies. In this capacity, it is contributing to the interagency
preparations for the next meeting of the Commission on Sustainable
Development (see above), such as a forthcoming report to CSD 14.
UNEP is also active in other areas of the UN
Energy programme of work.
Past activities
Awareness raising for climate change, Kyoto Protocol and the
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
"Changing Climate, Changing Opportunities (2004)", a short
video on Kyoto Protocol and the CDM for host countries. This short
video, Changing Climate, Changing Opportunities shows important
reasons to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the opportunities
provided by the CDM for developing countries. The video examines
a real project (i.e. Graneros Plant Fuel Switching Project) as a
CDM example and demonstrates how such projects are identified and
approved in their host countries, how various actors play their
roles, and how they can contribute to national sustainable development...
read more
Click on the links below to view the video clips in different languages:
english
| français
| español
UNEP's Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum
The twenty-fourth session of UNEP's
Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GCSS/GMEF),
held in Dubai on 6-9 February 2006, focused on energy and its links
to the environment. It gave ministers the opportunity to engage
in open discussions on this issue, in advance of the CSD negotiations.
Power sector reform
In May 2002 the International Energy Agency and UNEP held a meeting
on power sector reform and sustainable development. The objective
was to brainstorm about the opportunities that power sector reform
might bring to advance environmental and social goals. The meeting
agenda and summary, the presentations, and the list of participants
are available for download.
Energy subsidy reform
In late 2001 the International Energy Agency and UNEP conducted
a series of regional workshops on energy-subsidy reform and sustainable
development. They aimed at exchanging views and experiences from
across world regions and stakeholder groups, and reviewing successful
approaches to energy subsidy reform. The various agendas, workshop
summaries, lists of participants and presentations are available
for download.
Contribution to the
special report on methodological and technological issues in technology
transfer of IPCC's Working Group III'
UNEP contributed to this exhaustive analysis of the effectiveness
of options for adapting to climate change and diffusing technologies
for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It further prepared a summary
of the report to bring its conclusions to non-expert audiences.
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