Generating Renewable Energy for the Material Realization of Sustainable Development: What Do We Need from Multilateral Cooperation, the Climate Change and the International Trade Regimes?

2015 ◽  
pp. 373-387
Author(s):  
Marco Citelli
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
International Trade ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Multilateral Cooperation ◽  
Trade Regimes

scholarly journals Aligning Climate Change and Sustainable Development Goals With an Innovation Systems Roadmap for Renewable Power

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca R. Hernandez ◽  
Sarah M. Jordaan ◽  
Ben Kaldunski ◽  
Naresh Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Innovation Systems ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
Development Goals

Energy development improves quality of life for humans, but also incurs environmental consequences. A global energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy may mitigate climate change but may also undermine the capacity to achieve some or all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this study, we use an innovation systems approach to construct a comprehensive roadmap for solar and wind energy to anticipate and improve impacts of a transition to a low carbon future in a manner ensuring climate goals and SDGs are mutually reinforcing. Our multidisciplinary approach began with an assessment of public investments in renewable energy followed by a 2-day research prioritization workshop. Fifty-eight expert workshop participants identified six research themes that proactively address the environmental sustainability of renewable energy. Next, we identified linkages between the six research themes and all 17 SDGs. Finally, we conducted a scientiometric analysis to analyze the research maturity of these themes. The results of these efforts elucidated the limits of existing knowledge of renewable energy-SDG interactions, informing the development of a research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RD3) roadmap to a renewable energy future aligned with both climate goals and SDGs. The RD3 roadmap has been designed to systematically develop solutions for diverse actors and organizations. Overall, our findings confer a broad vision for a sustainable transition to renewables to minimize unintended environmental consequences while supporting interoperability among actors particularly poised to influence its magnitude and direction.

13. International Trade and Environmental Protection

2021 ◽  
pp. 775-812
Author(s):  
Alan Boyle ◽  
Catherine Redgwell
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
International Trade ◽  
Free Trade ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Environmental Law ◽  
Current Policy ◽  
Trade Law ◽  
The World ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter looks at the relationship between the World Trade Organization (WTO) and international trade in terms of international environmental law. Twenty-five years after the WTO system came into operation it appears that neither trade law nor environmental law have trumped each other. Rather, there has been a process of accommodation which is still ongoing. The chapter ends by making some conclusions on the arguments presented in this book and the issues currently being faced. The current policy of encouraging free trade cannot always be made environmentally friendly and this will always be the case. The problem becomes clear if we consider climate change. Free trade and globalisation by nature exacerbates the difficulties of regulating environmental issues. In addition, one of the key problems with sustainable development as a concept is that there has been too much emphasis on development, and not nearly enough on sustainability, then a policy of promoting free trade is part of that problem.

scholarly journals Sustainable energy and fuels from biomass: a review focusing on hydrothermal biomass processing

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 4390-4414
Author(s):  
Koray Alper ◽  
Kubilay Tekin ◽  
Selhan Karagöz ◽  
Arthur J. Ragauskas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Energy Resources ◽  
Renewable Energy Resources ◽  
Environmental Challenges ◽  
Biomass Processing

Fossil fuels must be replaced with renewable energy resources to ensure sustainable development, reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, address environmental challenges including climate change.

scholarly journals Renewable energy and adaptation to climate change

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-121
Author(s):  
Marta Stoian
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Current Climate ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
The Impact

Climate change is an unprecedented challenge in human history. It requires further immediate and concerted action. Understanding the stage of development of each energy resource, as the impact on the energy system to make informed decisions and prescribe a healthy energy future has thus become a priority. Decisions such as the phasing out of fossil fuels and the transition to an efficient and 100% renewable energy system, as well as increasing the storage capacity of greenhouse gases using environmentally sustainable approaches, maintaining natural ecosystems that generate environmental services, and restoring the degraded ones are now a top issue. Therefore, the relationship between energy and environmental policy is becoming essential. Accordingly, this paper will focus on the transition to renewable energy, the adaptation to climate change and the energy transition at EU level being strenuously debated, in order to build a holistic context of the actual situation. Adaptation to climate change requests a complex scientific study, given the diversity of uncertainties involved, and the interconnections between different areas, such as agriculture, sustainable development or energy industry. Therefore, the aim of research is to provide holistic understanding of the current climate issues, according to the mentioned fields. In this context, it is emphasized the benefits of clean energy by investigating the methods for achieving a prolific energy transition, from a conventional to a sustainable one. Carefully analysing the commitments and the transition to a low-carbon electricity system looking behind the causes and studying closely the underlying elements of all these topics, using the qualitative research method as a basis to indulge in further analysis and research, it was outlined a detailed analysis of the current climate context. In conclusion, the effect of the pressure brought into play by human exploitation of goods and services on the ecosystems was associated with the ongoing concerns of environmental degradation, climatic variations, natural and ecological distortions, and financial setbacks. Taking into account the drive toward accomplishing sustainable development and environmental quality, powerful policies are being implemented, but given the variety of investment conditions in each country and including the different characteristics of the financial markets, there is no unique solution that works for everybody. Therefore, the transition to a more sustainable energy system has a verity of implications but it is an essential condition for sustainable development.

scholarly journals Using Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping to Collate Expert Knowledge: Diverse impacts of renewable energy on biodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Grace ◽  
Alexis Meletiou ◽  
Myriam Pham-Truffert ◽  
Marianne Darbi ◽  
Karla Estela Locher-Krause ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Cognitive Mapping ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping ◽  
Renewable Energy Technologies ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Development Goals

The European Union (EU) is committed to tackling the issue of climate change, which poses serious risks to the global environment and human well-being. Supporting renewable energy is a key policy direction for the EU to lower its contributions to climate change. However, renewable energy technologies have diverse effects on the environment and on society. These effects can be considered a complex system of interacting elements and are challenging to assess. Conceptual models are a way of synthesizing this information to obtain an overview of the system and essential insights. We present the results of an activity to assess the impacts of EU renewable energy policies on overseas biodiversity and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was carried out as part of the EKLIPSE (EKLIPSE (Establishing a European Knowledge and Learning Mechanism to Improve the Policy-Science-Society Interface on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) mechanism to synthesise environmental knowledge in response to specific requests by decision-makers at the European level. We carried out a participatory process to collate expert knowledge into a conceptual model using a Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping Approach (Özesmi and Özesmi 2004), with the Mental Modeler software for mapping (Gray et al. 2013). The participants were guided to connect significant EU policies associated with renewable energy, the technologies they support, and known impacts of these technologies on biodiversity and the SDGs, drawing on a preliminary review of the literature. The individual models obtained were integrated into a single model (see Suppl. material 1 for images). This was then subject to network analysis, which reveals the collective effects of different renewable energy technologies (RETs) on the wider socioecological system. Our findings highlight that RETs have complex and at times disparate effects on biodiversity and the SDGs, acting through a variety of mediating processes. They benefit the SDGs on balance, particularly climate-related SDGs. Mitigation of biodiversity impacts remains a concern, and processes such as habitat change were found to be influential here. Our results suggest that policymakers must focus on implementing appropriate environmental impact assessments, guided by these mediating processes. This would minimize any negative environmental impacts of RETs, while maximizing the benefits.

scholarly journals Picturing two modernities

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarkko Kangas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Policy Research ◽  
The Political ◽  
Semiotic Analysis ◽  
Thematic Content Analysis ◽  
Ecological Modernisation ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Guardian

AbstractThe article analyses the discursive roles of two prominent themes of the habitual media climate change imagery: “the smokestack” and “renewable energy”. Through semiotic analysis of connotation and thematic content analysis of images inThe Guardian, the article argues that the constant reliance on these two themes and the particular ways of representing them sustain a definition of climate change as atechnological dualism.The article argues further that this dualism of “dirty” and “clean” technologies, as the predominant way of visualising direct causes of and responses to climate change, articulates ecological modernisation discourse and its central storyline of progressing from “defiling growth” toward “sustainable development” (Hajer, 1995). The article suggests (1) further research on conventional thematic imageries as a meaningful approach to studying policy discourses and (2) the relevance of applying concepts of policy research to understanding and challenging the political bearings of prominent visualisations.

The power of eco-labels: Communicating climate change using carbon footprint labels consistent with international trade regimes under the WTO

Climate Law ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 209-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Kloeckner
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
International Trade ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Mass Communication ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Labeling Schemes ◽  
Trade Regimes ◽  
Trade Measures

Information is power. At the intersection of culture, science, mass communication, and law, this paper argues that information provided by a transparent and internationally harmonized eco-label scheme serves to enhance understanding of public policy choices for mitigating climate change.Aproduct carbon footprint (PCF) label communicates climate change information to citizen consumers and can indirectly reduce GHG emissions. PCF labels are effective response measures that countries are taking to address global warming and are not obstacles to international trade. The international community should embrace domestic PCF labeling schemes, whether voluntary or mandatory. The PCF label and associated standards, which countries may use as domestic trade measures in response to the challenges of climate change, should be consistent with the rules and regimes of WTO agreements to ensure that these schemes support fair and free international trade. At some time in the future, the UNFCCC parties may reach agreement on a domestic response, including trade measures, to reduce GHG emissions, and PCF labeling schemes may be adapted as needed to assist developing countries’ participation. The WTO should support environmental trade measures that fight global warming, such as a domestic PCF label and associated standards.

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