On 12 December 2015, the French President of the UN Climate Change Conference gavelled through the Paris Agreement in the presence of a few thousand country delegates. The conference room broke into euphoric cheers and applause as negotiators celebrated success in a task that just six years earlier had seemed all but impossible. Those who had been closely involved in the process described the Paris Agreement as the best possible outcome. Governments, investors, experts, and activists worldwide affirmed it had signalled the end of the fossil fuel era. This short article examines these two affirmations. It asks: what did Paris do to deserve to be called a success, and where does it fall short? What does the Paris Agreement mean for the energy sector?
This paper by Mari Luomi examines current trends in domestic climate policy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. Given the politicisation of the topic at the international level, the paper takes a bottom-up approach that departs from the countries' national circumstances, capabilities and vulnerabilities. It emphasises the opportunities inherent in integrating the goals of low-carbon, resource-efficient and climate-resilient development into these countries' sustainable development goals. Following a review of the relevant international frameworks for action and support, and available domestic policies and measures, the study builds a comprehensive climate action profile for the GCC states, with analyses of national circumstances, capabilities and vulnerabilities, and greenhouse gas emissions. For the three most active GCC states in this area, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the study presents a comprehensive, sector-based assessment of existing measures aimed at or with benefits for emission reductions and climate resilience. The study demonstrates that there is large potential for enhanced mitigation and adaptation action in the GCC states. It also argues that climate policy mainstreaming and low-emission development strategies (LEDS) would help these states in aligning their climate change-related policy aims with existing economic development visions and development strategies in a way that creates positive synergies.
Brazil is at a crossroad with regard to its sustainable energy future. Despite currently boasting one of the world's cleanest energy supplies, a number of current trends are pointing towards a deterioration of the country's sustainable energy performance, measured in terms of renewable energy use, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Firstly, declining emissions from land use and increasing demand for fossil fuels are turning energy into a key driver of Brazil's domestic GHG emissions. Secondly, the electricity sector, dominated by large-scale hydropower, is facing challenges in meeting the growing demand. Worrying trends include the shrinking relative storage capacity in the system and the growing use of natural gas in lieu of cleaner sources. Thirdly, demand for transport fuels is growing fast, prompted by rising living standards and a long-term policy of favouring road transport. Expanding volumes and shares of oil are of particular concern and are intimately interlinked with the present troubles of the bioethanol sector. Furthermore, despite low levels of carbon and energy intensity, the country's energy efficiency performance remains stagnant. In this paper, Mari Luomi provides an evaluation of the prospects and potential for sustainable energy in Brazil in the medium and long term, based on an analysis of current energy-related dynamics, existing government policies and plans, and domestic and international projections of energy supply and demand through 2035. She argues that there is still plenty of room for increased ambition and warns that, unless current trends are reversed with determined policy and implementation, Brazil will place at risk the decarbonization of its energy supply at a time in which global attention is turning to resource-efficient low-carbon transitions. Policy recommendations for achieving a diversion from current plans and projected trajectories include: a diversification into non-large scale hydro renewables in the electricity sector, a sustainable expansion of ...
In this study, Mari Luomi examines how the resource-rich GCC countries are positioning themselves in the international relations of the green economy, focusing on the UAE's state-led efforts to acquire the means of implementation for a national green energy transition. The study addresses four questions: What strategies, external relations, and engagements have the UAE and other GCC states developed over recent years that support a transition to a green energy economy? How are these engagements providing the means of implementation for a green economy transition? Are the national policy frameworks aligned with such a transition? What lessons can be drawn from the UAE's experience by the other GCC states? The study concludes that, as the case of the UAE demonstrates, there are multiple ways in which the GCC states can actively employ their financial resources through external engagements to support a broader national green economy vision. However, enabling environments which are crucial for directing investments into green activities, jobs and infrastructure, are only beginning to emerge, and a lot of work still remains to be done in all six states, particularly in the areas of energy subsidy reform and sustainable job creation in productive sectors. The study closes with a number of related observations and recommendations.
