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542. Elephant in the room: The new G77 and China dynamics in climate talks
- Author:
- Antto Vihma
- Publication Date:
- 05-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Finnish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- As immediate emotions after Copenhagen COP-15 have faded, space is opening for more measured and systematic reflections on the lessons of the multilateral climate process. One key issue in global climate talks is the current state of the Group of 77 and China block of developing countries—its growing differences, and sources of solidarity.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, International Organization, and Treaties and Agreements
- Political Geography:
- China
543. Tools for building EU climate concensus: Bringing the CEE Member States on board
- Author:
- Anna Korppoo and Thomas Spencer
- Publication Date:
- 05-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Finnish Institute of International Affairs
- Abstract:
- Despite the lack of a global agreement in Copenhagen, momentum remains for the further development of EU climate policy, as indeed it does in many other countries. A 2010 Deutsche Bank report surveying the development of climate policies worldwide concluded that "…'the race is on' for countries to achieve a green economy". A wide range of EU initiatives on energy and climate are expected this year, providing opportunities to enhance the coherence and impact of EU policy.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, and Regional Cooperation
- Political Geography:
- Europe
544. Confronting the Crisis of International Climate Policy
- Author:
- Warwick McKibbin, Fergus Green, and Greg Picker
- Publication Date:
- 07-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Lowy Institute for International Policy
- Abstract:
- After an extraordinary build-up, stratospheric public expectations, unprecedented political attention, and the presence of more than 100 heads of State, the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference spectacularly failed to produce an international response to climate change commensurate with the scale of the problem. Instead, the Conference revealed with great drama the fundamental weaknesses of the existing framework for international climate governance. Even the Copenhagen Accord – a 3-page, heavily-qualified, nonbinding Statement of political intent, and the singular achievement of the Conference – was vigorously resisted by a number of countries when it was submitted to the full plenary for adoption on the final night of negotiations. As exhausted delegates lay lifeless, strewn across the cavernous negotiating hall watching Venezuelan officials block the adoption of the Accord because it made reference to the role of market mechanisms in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, even the most ardent advocate of the 20-year old UN climate process could not have helped but think 'there must be a better way'.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, International Cooperation, Treaties and Agreements, and United Nations
545. The Formation of Preferences in Two-level Games: An Analysis of India's Domestic and Foreign Energy Policy
- Author:
- Joachim Betz and Melanie Hanif
- Publication Date:
- 07-2010
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- German Institute of Global and Area Studies
- Abstract:
- This paper examines the formation of India's energy‐policy strategy as an act of doubleedged diplomacy. After developing an analytical framework based on the two‐level game approach to international relations (IR), it focuses on the domestic context of policy preference formation. India's energy strategy is shaped by a shortage of energy and the scarcity of indigenous reserves; these problems have together resulted in agrowing import dependence in order to sustain economic growth rates, outdated cross‐subsidies, overregulation, and nontransparent bureaucratic structures which are adverse to private investment. The Indian government still dominates the energy sector, but large electoral constituencies within the country exert a considerable indirect influence. The paper analyzes how all these domestic necessities combine with India's general foreign policy goals and traditions to form an overall energy strategy. We finally discuss how this strategy plays out in a competitive international environment where global resources are shrinking (with most claims already distributed) and environmental concerns are on the rise.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, Energy Policy, Environment, and Natural Resources
- Political Geography:
- India
546. After Copenhagen Climate Governance and the Road Ahead
- Author:
- Joshua W. Busby
- Publication Date:
- 08-2010
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Council on Foreign Relations
- Abstract:
- Climate change is the most difficult collective action problem the world has ever faced. The activities responsible for greenhouse-gas emissions are central to our modern way of life, and the uncertain effects of climate change will disproportionately fall on future generations that have no say in current decision-making processes. Climate change is also a difficult challenge because it cannot be ad- dressed by governments alone—it depends on coordination with private actors and nongovernmental organizations.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Globalization, and Treaties and Agreements
547. The Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Perspective on the Energy Security Policies in Singapore
- Author:
- Youngho Chang and Nur Azha Putra
- Publication Date:
- 06-2010
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS)
- Abstract:
- The Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Perspective on the Energy Security Policies in Singapore By Youngho Chang and Nur Azha Putra The Singapore government treats energy security as a means towards achieving sustainable economic growth. It is on that note that the Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) and National Energy Policy (NEP) reports recommended strategies which are meant to steer the nation towards economic competitiveness, energy security and environmental sustainability. To date, both reports provide the clearest indication of what the future energy security landscape will look like in Singapore. These reports also underline the belief that an efficient energy market would inevitably drive economic growth, and generate wealth and security for the nation. However, energy security should also be about human security as much as it is about economic growth, according to non-traditional security (NTS) literature. The NTS perspective argues that energy security should also account for the welfare and development of individuals, households and communities, among other things. Building upon the NTS discourse, this paper attempts to unpack Singapore's energy policies by tracing and analysing the rationale behind the role of oil in the nation's economic development, and explores its implication for human security.
- Topic:
- Security and Energy Policy
- Political Geography:
- Singapore and Southeast Asia
548. Russia's Neglected Energy Reserves
- Author:
- John P. Millhone
- Publication Date:
- 05-2010
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- Russia has the world's largest share of fossil energy resources. During the Soviet era, because this wealth of resources insulated the country from global energy crises, citizens never had to worry about conserving energy, and much was squandered. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the situation has improved in western, urban Russia, but great expanses of this vast country continue their inefficient ways. Indeed, recognizing that minimizing waste helps preserve Russia's resources, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev successfully urged the Duma to pass sweeping new energy-efficiency legislation. But more remains to be done to identify how energy resources are used and wasted, and where efficiency might be improved.
- Topic:
- Economics, Energy Policy, International Trade and Finance, and Labor Issues
- Political Geography:
- Russia and Soviet Union
549. Bulgaria Energy Sector
- Author:
- Boyko Nitzov, Ruslan Stefanov, Valentina Nikolova, and Dobromir Hristov
- Publication Date:
- 04-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Energy security in Central-Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region is fraught with risks. By virtue of its geography, Bulgaria finds itself in a difficult nexus, drawn into Eurasia's contentious energy geopolitics and as a European Union member, involved in the Union's fragmented energy policy and complex regulatory, energy efficiency and climate change objectives. That position is challenging, but it also presents decision-makers in Sofia with opportunities.
- Topic:
- Economics, Energy Policy, and Reform
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Central Asia, and Bulgaria
550. Central Europe and the Geopolitics of Energy
- Author:
- Franklin D. Kramer, John R. Lyman, and Mihaela Carstei
- Publication Date:
- 12-2010
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Atlantic Council
- Abstract:
- Energy security presents quintessential geopolitical challenges. In Central Europe, achieving energy security can be a critical element for a continent seeking to resolve vestigial Cold War complexities with Russia and toward meeting 21st century challenges including balanced economic development, energy diversity and climate change. Central Europe, utilizing both European Union support and Western European national assistance and enhanced by United States technical assistance, can take five key steps that will go far toward resolving energy security challenges and help to reframe the geopolitics of the continent.
- Topic:
- Security, Economics, Energy Policy, Oil, and Natural Resources
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, and Europe