Peter Beck

Michael Grubb

John V. Mitchell

This path-breaking study attempts to define a new international dimension to energy policy that takes account of the dramatic political changes since the oil crises of the 1970s. This 'new geopolitics of energy' is creative rather than defensive, aligned to market-oriented development rather than state management. But governments have a role in promoting stable international conditions for trade and investment in energy, which in turn contribute to wider political stability; the development of more widely acceptable options for nuclear power; coordinated international action to mitigate the risks of climate change and other environmental impacts. This book is invaluable reading for executives and analysts in the energy business, and for strategic thinkers who believe that broader policies should in keeping with current energy trends.

The New Geopolitics of Energy

Matthew Paterson

This report presents selected papers from a Royal Institute workshop on the differentiation within industrialized countries to limit greenhouse gas emissions, together with an overview of the discussions. The workshop brought together leading negotiators and analysts to explore whether and how emission commitments might be differentiated.

Analysing Options for Differentiating Commitments Under the Framework Convention on Climate Change

Sharing the Effort

Duncan Brack

Christiaan Vrolijk

Energy and Environmental Programme (Royal Institute of International Affairs)

A concise and authoritative guide to the evolution, terms and implications of the Kyoto Protocol, this book provides an economic and political account of key policy debates and their outcome. It also explains the meaning of provisions on emissions trading and other flexibility mechanisms, and provides a quantitative analysis using the emissions trading model devised by the RIIA's Energy and Environmental Programme.

A Guide and Assessment

The Kyoto Protocol

Karsten Neuhoff

Jean Charles Hourcade

How well do our assumptions about the global challenges of energy, environment and economic development fit the facts? Energy prices have varied hugely between countries and over time, yet the share of national income spent on energy has remained surprisingly constant. The foundational theories of economic growth account for only about half the growth observed in practice. Despite escalating warnings for more than two decades about the planetary risks of rising greenhouse gas emissions, most governments have seemed powerless to change course. Planetary Economics shows the surprising links between these seemingly unconnected facts. It argues that tackling the energy and environmental problems of the 21st Century requires three different domains of decision-making to be recognised and connected. Each domain involves different theoretical foundations, draws on different areas of evidence, and implies different policies. The book shows that the transformation of energy systems involves all three domains - and each is equally important. From them flow three pillars of policy – three quite distinct kinds of actions that need to be taken, which rest on fundamentally different principles. Any pillar on its own will fail. Only by understanding all three, and fitting them together, do we have any hope of changing course. And if we do, the oft-assumed conflict between economy and the environment dissolves – with potential for benefits to both. Planetary Economics charts how.

Energy, Climate Change and the Three Domains of Sustainable Development

Planetary Economics

Michael Grubb

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