Energy for sustainable development: Review of national and international energy policies

This article presents an assessment of the effectiveness of national and international energy policies directed toward the objectives of sustainable development contained in Agenda 21. Following a brief overview of energy and transport sector trends over the past ten years, the article discusses whether and to what extent energy policies for sustainable development have impacted on poverty reduction, energy security, equitable access to energy, and transition to a more efficient and environmentally sound energy system.
The impact of policies is assessed considering that such a transition involves appropriate combinations of energy efficient technologies and usage patterns, wider use of renewable energy, and gradual induction of advanced energy technologies. The article then examines the extent to which such policies have been based on integrated assessments of the needs and priorities in economic growth, social development and environmental protection and identifies some of the main constraints and barriers hampering the implementation of energy for sustainable development. The article also examines whether decision-making processes ensure multi-stakeholder participation in policy development and support a fair sharing of commitments, responsibilities and benefits among the participating stakeholders in policy implementation. Selected case studies of policies that have made a tangible difference in promoting energy for sustainable development are outlined.
Finally the article discusses the challenges facing energy for sustainable development and discusses various options to accelerate the implementation of its goals.     

Indicators for sustainable energy development: An initiative by the International Atomic Energy Agency

Since 1999, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been leading a multinational, multi‐agency effort to develop a set of energy indicators useful for measuring progress on sustainable development at the national level. This effort has included the identification of major relevant energy indicators, the development of a framework for implementation and the testing of the applicability of this tool in a number of countries. To achieve these goals, the IAEA has worked closely with other international organizations, leaders in energy and environmental statistics and analysis including the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the International Energy Agency (IEA), Eurostat and the European Environment Agency (EEA). Also, the IAEA completed a three‐year coordinated research project for the implementation and testing of the original set of indicators in seven countries — Brazil, Cuba, Lithuania, Mexico, the Russian Federation, the Slovak Republic and Thailand. This article provides an overview of the IAEA programme on Indicators for Sustainable Energy Development (ISED) and highlights its experiences and accomplishments.     

Energy indicators and sustainable development: The International Energy Agency approach

The International Energy Agency (IEA), together with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), UN‐DESA, Eurostat and the European Environmental Agency, has recently published a comprehensive joint‐agency overview of energy indicators for sustainable development. The IEA's contribution to this publication is based on the IEA energy indicator approach. This approach has been developed and used by the IEA over a number of years. The indicators advocated by the IEA are relatively disaggregated to allow for meaningful analysis of sustainability issues in the energy sector. Using a decomposition approach helps reveal the causal links between human/economic driving forces, energy use and emissions. This article presents examples of IEA's work with indicators and an overview of the methodology used, including an explanation of the link to sustainable development. It also provides an example of a simplified indicator analysis of India, to illustrate the importance of improved data systems in developing indicators that can provide meaningful policy analysis.     

The Concepts of Energy,Environment, and Cost for Process Design

Abstract

The process industries (specifically, energy and chemicals) are characterized by a variety of reactors and reactions to bring about successful process operations. The design of energy-related and chemical processes and their evolution is a complex process that determines the competitiveness of these industries, as well as their environmental impact. Thus, we have developed an Enviro-Energy Concept designed to facilitate sustainable industrial development. The Complete Onion Model represents a complete methodology for chemical process design and illustrates all of the requirements to achieve the best possible design within the accepted environmental standards. Currently, NOx emissions from industrial processes continue to receive maximum attention, therefore the issue problem of NOx emissions from industrial sources such as power stations and nitric acid plants is considered. The Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is one of the most promising and effective commercial technologies. It is considered the Best Available Control Technology (BACT) for NOx reduction. The solution of NOx Emissions problem is either through modifying the chemical process design and/or installing an end-of-pipe technology. The degree of integration between the process design and the installed technology plays a critical role in the capital cost evaluation. Therefore, integrating process units and then optimizing the design has a vital effect on the total cost. Both the environmental regulations and the cost evaluation are the boundary constraints of the optimum solution.     

Indicators for sustainable energy development: Brazil's case study

This article summarizes the results of the project on indicators for sustainable energy development (ISED) in Brazil. The project's aim was to present energy related economic, social and environmental data to policy makers in a coherent and consistent form, showing interlinkages, time‐series and cross‐sectoral analyses and assess energy policy. Two priority areas assessed by these indicators, regarding the country's energy supply and demand, helped in the identification of a number of energy policy options that focused on specific aspects of the country's energy sector. On the supply side, these options include the development and stimulation of renewable energy, such as small‐scale hydroelectric, wind, solar photovoltaic power and bagasse cogeneration; stimulation of programmes for ethanol use as automotive fuel and sugarcane bagasse cogeneration; and implementation of natural gas‐fired, combined heat and power (CHP) plants. On the demand side, policy options include: the full implementation of the law on efficiency standards for appliances; expansion of utility investment in end‐use energy efficiency; adoption of targets and protocols to reduce energy intensity in the industrial sector; improvement of passenger transport efficiency; and the creation of a fund to improve energy affordability for the poor.     

Indicators for sustainable energy development in Mexico

This article presents a summary of a study on the application to the Mexican energy sector of a core set of indicators for sustainable energy development (ISED), developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The study focused on the elaboration of socio‐economic and environmental indicators related to energy production and use, and was aimed at assessing Mexico's existing energy policies and identifying strategies and possible policies that could bring about improvements in major priority areas: energy intensity, atmospheric emissions, energy import dependency and use of renewables. While positive trends have been observed in relation to energy intensity and atmospheric emissions, Mexico is becoming more dependent on imports of gasoline, natural gas and other high‐value secondary energy sources, while exporting significant amounts of primary fuels, such as crude oil. Also, no significant increase has been observed in the use of renewable sources of energy. Social, economic and environmental policies need to be formulated for the energy sector and related investments (public and private) reinforced so that all economic sectors have access to energy from cleaner and more diverse sources.     

Social features of energy production and use in Brazil: Goals for a sustainable energy future

This paper focuses on the social features of ene rgy production and use in Brazil and discusses the role of the energy policy goals of accessibility, affordability and acceptability in defining a sustainable energy future for the country. The major findings are that social inequalities in Brazil regarding energy use continue to be substantial and important. This can be explained by the fact that, although recent decades have seen significant improvements in energy accessibility all over the country, much more needs to be done to provide affordable, and socially acceptable modern energy carriers to all socio‐economic groups in all regions.     

Indicators for sustainable energy development in Lithuania

This article summarizes some of the results from the application of the indicators for sustainable energy development (ISED) tool for analyzing Lithuania's energy sector, in terms of trends, setting energy policy goals and monitoring progress towards these goals. This experience illustrates the potential applicability of the ISED methodology for energy policy development in economies in transition, using Lithuania as an example. The article presents a summary of the results achieved and conclusions arrived at from the analysis of six priority areas in the context of the research project coordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and provides recommendations for the development of sustainable energy policy using the ISED approach.     

西部大开发中的新疆生态环境建设

新疆地处祖国西北边陲，其国土面积、资源储备和战略地位都在西部开发中居于重要地位。长期以来，由于人们对自然资源的不合理利用，加之经济发展滞后，使得该地区的生态环境遭到严重破坏，土地沙漠化、水土流失、森林、草场严重退化。正确认识和评价新疆的生态环境现状及其承载力，制定遏制生态环境恶化的有效方法，促进生态系统的良性循环，实现人与自然的和谐统一，是西部大开发中实现新疆经济、社会可持续发展的基础。     

Cars and fuels for tomorrow: a comparative assessment

Light duty vehicles, i.e. passenger cars and light trucks, account for approximately half of global transportation energy demand and, thus, a major share of carbon dioxide and other emissions from the transport sector. Energy consumption in the transport sector is expected to grow in the future, especially in developing countries. Cars with alternative powertrains to internal combustion engines (notably battery, hybrid and fuel-cell powertrains), in combination with potentially low carbon electricity or alternative fuels (notably hydrogen and methanol), can reduce energy demand by at least 50%, and carbon dioxide and regulated emissions much further. This article presents a comparative technical and economic assessment of promising future fuel/vehicle combinations. There are several promising technologies but no obvious winners. However, the electric drivetrain is a common denominator in the alternative powertrains and continued cost reductions are important for widespread deployment in future vehicles. Development paths from current fossil fuel based systems to future carbon-neutral supply systems appear to be flexible and a gradual phasing-in of new powertrains and carbon-neutral fluid fuels or electricity is technically possible. Technology development drivers and vehicle manufacturers are found mainly in industrialised countries, but developing countries represent a growing market and may have an increasingly important role in shaping the future.     

山西能源基地水资源的持续开发利用对策

本文在分析了山西能源基地水资源的特征、开发利用现状和存在的主要问题的基础上,提出了该地区水资源合理开发与持续利用的对策。     

Resource management as a key factor for sustainable urban planning

Due to fast urbanization and increasing living standards, the environmental sustainability of our global society becomes more and more questionable. In this historical review we investigate the role of resources management (RM) and urban planning (UP) and propose ways for integration in sustainable development (SD). RM follows the principle of circular causation, and we reflect on to what extent RM has been an element for urban planning. Since the existence of the first settlements, a close relationship between RM, urbanization and technological development has been present. RM followed the demand for urban resources like water, energy, and food. In history, RM has been fostered by innovation and technology developments and has driven population growth and urbanization. Recent massive resource demand, especially in relation to energy and material flows, has altered natural ecosystems and has resulted in environmental degradation. UP has developed separately in response to different questions. UP followed the demand for improved living conditions, often associated to safety, good manufacturing and trading conditions and appropriate sanitation and waste management. In history UP has been a developing research area, especially since the industrial era and the related strong urbanization at the end of the 18th century. UP responded to new emerging problems in urban areas and became increasingly complex. Nowadays, UP has to address many objectives that are often conflicting, including, the urban sustainability. Our current urban un-sustainability is rooted in massive resource consumption and waste production beyond natural limits, and the absence of flows from waste to resources. Therefore, sustainable urban development requires integration of RM into UP. We propose new ways to this integration.     

Evaluation of energy policy in Cuba using ISED

This article discusses the development of Cuba's energy sector in the last half century, especially the last 25 years, emphasizing social, economic, environmental and institutional aspects. Energy use is evaluated with the indicators for sustainable energy development (ISED) developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and applied by the authors, based on data series from Cuba's National Office of Statistics. Cuba's economy and energy sector have undergone important changes, particularly in the 1990s during the crisis that resulted from the termination of the country's special trade relations with former socialist countries. Based on an analysis of Cuba's economy and energy situation, a number of policies were selected for evaluation, including those aimed to reduce energy import dependence, increase the share of renewable energy sources and improve energy efficiency. The effects of these policies are evaluated in view of sustainable energy development. The article concludes with an evaluation of recent progress towards sustainable energy development in Cuba, and outlines future options for the country.     

找准经济与环境协调发展的切入点

实施可持续发展战略,就是要实现经济建设与环境保护协调发展。本文从佳木斯市实际出发,提出了环境保护职能部门如何参与经济结构调整以实现经济与环境协调发展的意见和建议。     

Energy efficiency: The best immediate option for a secure, clean, healthy future

The imperatives for reducing the world's dependence on fossil and nuclear fuels have multiplied manifold in recent years with the advent of worldwide terrorism. These new dangers come in addition to the imperatives of addressing the dire consequences of global warming and devastating pollution that accompany the use of these fossil fuels. Reducing dependence on these unsafe and unreliable energy resources should be a top global priority. Implementation of proven energy efficiency technologies offers the world the fastest, safest, most economic and most environmentally benign way to alleviate these threats. This article outlines available efficiency measures, their economic advantages and means by which they may be and have been implemented. While examples of efficiency applications from both developed and developing countries are given, the article relies heavily on experience with energy efficiency in the United States, where data on efficiency is particularly abundant.     

Energy policies and environmental security: A multi-criteria analysis of energy policies of Pakistan

Access to affordable and efficient energy is a basic human right and an imperative for human development. The energy policies usually ponder technical, economic, environmental, and social aspects for successful procurement of energy and endowment of energy resources. The objectives of this paper are to analyze energy policies in Pakistan and assess their relationship with environmental security and development. An empirical and multi-criteria decision analysis was used to unfold the strong interactions of energy security with development and environment. The energy policies in Pakistan are more equipped with economic and technical aspects, fairly framed with social aspects and poorly pampered with environmental facets. The dearth of environmental aspects will not only results in environmental degradation but also lag the development and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.     

Indicators for sustainable energy development in Thailand

This article examines energy priorities for Thailand from the economic, social and environmental perspectives of sustainable development. The article uses a set of indicators devised by the International Atomic Energy Agency in partnership with other international agencies and research institutes in seven countries. Thailand's energy efficiency in the 1980s and 1990s are analysed using energy intensity indicators, and possible impacts on sustainable energy development are highlighted. The early 1990s in particular was an important period for Thailand, as the country was at the height of its economic growth, and a number of energy efficiency and conservation programmes were launched. Energy intensity indicators show continuing and faster growth in energy consumption relative to economic activity. The financial crisis in the late 1990s did halt growth in energy consumption, with positive consequences on environmental emissions, but only temporarily as Thailand's economy quickly started to recover in 2000. Notwithstanding the financial crisis, the other indicators show significant progress in economic and social dimensions.     

Integrating Economic Development and the Environment: Artisan Fishing Production in Guanabara Bay,Rio de Janeiro

The adoption of environmentally sustainable techniques by cooperatives and small companies results in specific difficulties rarely discussed in the literature. This paper describes an action-research carried out by seafood cultivators and university researchers in Guanabara Bay, which resulted in the substitution of the previous technique, based on extraction, by one without negative environmental impacts. The economic results have been satisfactory, so it can be expected that this activity may become more widespread in the region.     

陕北能源开发生态环境补偿对策研究

本文从陕北能源开发入手,通过对生态破坏、经济损失的分析,论述了生态环境补偿的必要性和迫切性,提出了生态环境补偿的依据。从生态学的角度分析了生态的损失补偿是企业产品成本的构成部分,而不应是社会责任承担。阐明了补偿费征收管理办法主要应包括征收范围、征收机构、征收标准、管理使用和罚则等五个方面。