World in Transition: Towards Sustainable Energy SystemsEarthscan, 2004 - 242 pages 'The publication of World in Transition: Towards Sustainable Energy Systems is timely indeed. The World Summit on Sustainable Development gave great prominence to this challenge, but failed to agree on a quantitative, time-bound target for the introduction of renewable energy sources. The German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) has now produced a report with a global focus, which is essential in view of the global impacts of climate change. The report provides a convincing long-term analysis, which is also essential. Global energy policies have to take a long-term perspective, over the next 50 to 100 years, while providing concrete guidance for decision-makers to implement now. There is an urgent need to secure energy supplies for the 2.4 billion people who still depend upon traditional biomass, while avoiding dangerous climatic changes. Our one world must close the gap between industrialized countries' surfeit and developing countries' poverty. Policies will need to consider both the broader environmental and specific climate constraints. I recommend this book very warmly to everyone concerned with global energy issues' Klaus Topfer, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme World in Transition: Towards Sustainable Energy Systems underscores the urgent need to transform global energy systems so that the world's population has access to energy based on renewable sources. This is necessary to protect the global climate and to free those in developing countries trapped by energy poverty. Such an approach would also yield a peace dividend by reducing dependence upon regionally concentrated oil reserves. The authors stress that such a reconfiguration of energy systems is both feasible and fundable if rapid and resolute action is taken in the coming two decades. To this end, they propose a roadmap with specific milestones, making this an indispensable contribution to the scientific and policy debates on these critical issues and essential reading for those engaged with them. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 75
... energy system linkages 13 Introduction 13 The global setting 13 Energy in industrialized countries 17 Energy in ... transformation of energy systems 97 Approach and methodology for deriving an exemplary transformation path 97 Energy ...
... transformation strategy : Paths towards globally sustainable energy systems 143 143 Key elements of a transformation strategy 143 Actions recommended at the national level Actions recommended at the global level 166 Research for energy ...
... energy system transformation 107 Ecological guard rails 107 Protection of the biosphere 107 Sustainable land use 113 ... transformation path : An overview 129 Conclusion : The sustainable transformation of global energy systems can be ...
... energy sphere 167 Institutionalizing global energy policy 168 5.2.4.3 Agriculture 165 5.2.4.4 Conclusion 166 5.3 ... system transformation 174 Principles for equitable and efficient funding of global energy policy 174 Provision of new and ...
... Energy carrier usage as a function of household income in developing ... transformation strategy 144 Quotas , tradable quotas , green energy certificates 150 Renewable Energy Certification System ... transformation launched at the WSSD 193 ...
Contents
Summary for policymakers | 1 |
Box 2 | 2 |
4 | 9 |
Introduction | 11 |
Table 3 | 14 |
Energy in industrialized countries | 17 |
Energy in transition countries | 26 |
6 | 28 |
Energy for transport | 91 |
An exemplary path for the sustainable transformation | 97 |
5 | 105 |
Guard rails for energy system transformation | 107 |
6 | 113 |
8 | 126 |
Paths towards globally sustainable | 143 |
Actions recommended at the global level | 166 |
The institutional foundation of global energy policy | 32 |
The starting point for global energy policy | 41 |
Technologies and their sustainable potential | 43 |
7 | 52 |
1 | 71 |
Cogeneration | 73 |
Improvements in energy efficiency | 83 |