UN Commission on Sustainable Development
Energy
The ongoing impact of human development on the environment is a fact of life
and the most significant impact is from energy production, distribution and use.
At present, the nature and severity of interaction between the energy system and
the environment is unprecedented. However, economic growth and social
development depend on energy use and to meet the needs of a growing world
population global energy consumption continues to increase substantially. The
challenge, therefore, is how to meet the growing demand for energy while
mitigating the impact of energy supply and use on the environment and thus
guarantee the long term quality of our habitat.
Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro) points to the fact that much of the world's
energy is produced and used in ways that may not be sustained if overall
quantities continue to increase substantially and if technology were to remain
constant. In various chapters of Agenda 21, it was stated that all energy
sources need to be used in ways that protect the atmosphere, human health and
the environment as a whole.
With this heightened awareness underpinning the fact that choices must be
proposed and made for energy futures compatible with sustainable development and
thus a sustainable world, since the Earth Summit, sustainable development and
use of energy have been highlighted and addressed, in its relevant context, in
all major international forums, and particularly by the United Nations Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources for Development.
The Nineteenth Special Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations
recognized the need for a movement towards sustainable patterns of production,
distribution and use of energy. In establishing the Multi-year Programme of Work
for the Commission on Sustainable Development, the Special Session decided that
the sectoral theme of the ninth session of the Commission will be
Atmosphere/Energy and in this context, the Special Session underscored that in
line with the objectives of Agenda 21, the ninth session of the Commission
should contribute to a sustainable energy future for all.
Energy related issues at the Commission on Sustainable Development, in
collaboration with other concerned United Nations entities, come under the
purview of the Energy and Transport Branch, Division for Sustainable Development
of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Mr. Kui-Nang Mak is the Chief
of the Energy and Transport Branch.
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/enr.htm
Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB): UNFCCC
Workshop on Procedures and Mechanisms Relating to Compliance Under the Kyoto
Protocol, Bonn, Germany; 1-3 March 2000
http://www.iisd.ca/climate/cop6/tech_ws/compliance/
ENB: Summary of the Workshop on Compliance
under the Kyoto protocol 1-3 March 2000
http://www.iisd.ca/vol12/enb12124e.html
ENDA - Energy Programme
aims to contribute to a better technical, economic and
socio-cultural understanding of energy problems. It emphasises the interactions
between research, action and training. The ENDA Energy Progamme is involved in
work across the African continent
http://www.enda.sn/energie/indexpea.htm
ENEQO - Equal opportunities in the energy sector
The aim of the project, funded by the European programme for Equal
opportunities for women and men, is to promote equal opportunities in the energy
sector. Ideas and models are sought and good practices are identified to reduce
gender segregation in this sector.
http://www.sydkraft.se/eneqo/back.html
ENERGIA
is an international network on women and sustainable energy which
links individuals and groups concerned with energy, environment and women.
ENERGIA aims to strengthen the role of women in sustainable energy development
through information exchange, training, research, advocacy and action.
http://www.energia.org
go to "Resources" for the following 3 papers:
 |
The role of women in sustainable energy development |
|
Enabling equitable access to rural electrification: current thinking and
major activities in energy, poverty and gender E.Cecelski: Briefing Paper prepared for a Brainstorming Meeting on Asia Alternative Energy Policy and Project Development Support: Emphasis on Poverty Alleviation and Women Asia Alternative Energy Unit (ASTAE), The World Bank, Washington, DC, 26-27 January 2000 |
|
Policies, projects and the market empowering women? Joy Clancy: Some initial reactions to developments in the energy sector |
World Bank Downgrades Energy Policy and Fails to Address Gender
http://www.energia.org/energia/dec1996/WorldBank.html
Energy for Women and Women for Energy: A proposal for women’s energy
entrepreneurship
Srilatha Batliwala and Amulya K.N. Reddy
It is well known that women usually bear the burden of providing biomass
fuels for daily domestic use. Less well known is the extent to which human
energy is an essential element in the household economy. The results of a case
study of a typical village in Karnataka, India, can be used to demonstrate this.
Our experience with attempts to improve the situation by the use of new energy
technologies, leads us to propose a women’s energy entrepreneur project to
assist women to become energy entrepreneurs, thus "engendering" energy
and empowering women.
http://www.energia.org/energia/dec1996/EnergyForWomen.html
From Rio to Beijing: Engendering the energy debate
Elizabeth Cecelski
New perspectives in the energy sector adopted at the Rio Conference, and new
approaches to gender issues discussed at the Beijing Conference, are especially
congenial to the adoption of a gender approach in energy policy and planning at
this time. This article suggests that mutual concerns in energy fora and gender
circles, jointly addressed, could further both the Rio energy programme goal of
sustainable development, and the Beijing women’s agenda of development,
equality and peace. While not exhaustive, specific neglected gender issues are
pointed out here in areas of current and future energy policy concern.
http://www.energia.org/energia/dec1996/FromRioToBeijing.html
Networking Around the World
USA Network Forming after the Fourth World Renewable Energy Congress in
Denver
A symposium on Women and Sustainable Energy on June 16 1996 in Denver,
Colorado - the first such session at any World Renewable Energy Congress- gave
impetus to the formation of an American network of women and energy. The
symposium was organised by a group of staff of the US National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) called Women in Sustainable Energy (WISE
http://www.energia.org/energia/dec1996/NetworkingAround.html
Planning Women into International Energy Meetings
How can we mainstream a gender perspective in sustainable development?
Clearly this needs to be tackled at different levels with different strategies
and approaches. One strategy to increase discussion and visibility of gender
issues in mainstream energy policy circles is to plan women and gender into
international energy meetings.
http://www.energia.org/energia/july1997/NewsFromTheEditors.html
Energy Efficiency 2000
The EE2000 Project assists Central and Eastern Europe and CIS countries to
enhance their energy efficiency and security to ease the energy supply
constraints of economic transition. The EE2000 Project assists these countries
in meeting international environmental treaty obligations under the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) and the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE). Reducing the energy efficiency
"gap" by half would save 600 million tonnes of oil equivalent in year
2010, of which 90 per cent would be fossil fuels. Harmful emissions of SO2 and
CO2 would be reduced by 20-25 per cent in comparison with continuing trends in
the ECE region. Reducing CO2 emissions by 10 per cent in the ECE region
translates into a 5 to 6 per cent reduction of global CO2 levels.
http://www.ee2000.net/
Energy Efficiency Toolkit
contains links to all sorts of energy efficiency related tools, such as:
databases, decision support tools, fact sheets, conversion tables,
(CO2)calculation programmes, analysis tools, etc.
http://www.caddet-ee.org/ee_tools.htm.
Foresight
Energy & Natural Environment Panel. A consultation document.
www.foresight.gov.uk
International Energy Agency
http://www.iea.org
International Energy Agency's Centre for the Analysis and
Dissemination of Demonstrated Energy Efficiency Technologies (IEA CADDET Energy
Efficiency)
free access to technical information on newly
demonstrated energy efficiency projects that are suitable for
worldwide replication.
http://www.caddet-ee.org
International Center for Research on Women
http://www.icrw.org/
http://www.icrw.org/
Women's Responses to Environmental Degradation: Poverty and Demographic
Constraints, Case Studies from Latin America by Michael Paolisso and Sarah
Gammage
ICRW and three partner organizations in Chile, Ecuador, and
Honduras undertook case study research on the environmental contributions of
women to managing the negative effects of natural resource decline and
environmental pollution on family welfare. This report present the key
findings for each community site studied (urban and rural), discusses women's
productive and reproductive responses to the identified environmental
problems, and offers policy recommendations derived from the case studies. For
more information, look under Women, Population, and Environment Interactions:
A Collaborative Project in Latin America and the Caribbean under ICRW
Programs.
http://www.icrw.org/
http://www.icrw.org/
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)
Energy Fact Sheets
Originally prepared by the Energy Educators of Ontario 1993
This series of articles discusses our past, present and future use of energy.
Advantages and disadvantages of various energy sources and the potential of
alternatives are described.
http://www.iclei.org/efacts/content.htm
International Network for Sustainable Energy (INFORSE)
a world-wide network of 200 NGOs in more than 60 countries. All of these
organisations work to promote sustainable energy and social development. INFORSE
acts as independant initiator of programmes and projects and is actively engaged
in international awareness rising.
The network was established by NGOs in Rio in 1992 to secure follow-up on the
political decisions at the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED).
http://www.inforse.org
Kammen, Daniel M. (1995). Cookstoves
for the Developing World.
http://www.wws.princeton.edu/programs/stpp.articles/cookstoves.html
LIFE e.V - women develop eco-techniques
The connection between ecology and eco-techniques with the promotion of
women in the labour market and in decision-making is one of the aims of the LIFE
association.
www.life-online.de
OECD
Climate Change Documents
http://www.oecd.org/env/cc/freedocs.htm
OECD
Forum on Climate Change
http://www.oecd.org/env/cc/forum.htm
Population Action
Publication: People in the Balance - Population and Natural Resources at the
Turn of the Millenium
Chapter on 'People and Carbon Dioxide'
http://www.populationaction.org/pubs/00pb/pb_co2.htm
SADC
Throughout the basin, women use woodfuel energy daily. According to a recent
report from the SADC Gender Strategy Workshop, women are said to be the
managers, users and protectors of the environment. However, they are
under-represented in key decision-making positions in all aspects of their
public and private life. At the family level, men are the legal household heads
and final decision-makers regarding family issues. This gives men total control
over productive resources such as land, capital and labour to which women are
relegated to have indirect, and at times temporal decision-making powers
http://www.sardc.org.zw/imercsa/zambezi/ZNewsletter/issue1of1/woodfuel.htm
Seen. Women's Power Project, a model
of sustainable development that incorporates women's empowerment, renewable
energy, forest regeneration, and micro enterprise.
http://www.seen.org/seen.html
Sunwork
puts its main emphasis on apprenticeships for young
women in eco-technical trades and trainings for multipliers
http://members.vienna.at/sunwork
UN Economic Commission for Europe
ECE Energy Division
The Economic Commission for Europe has had a programme of work in the field
of energy ever since its creation in 1947. The current programme of work is both
broad and comprehensive. The programme of work is focused on issues related to
sustainable energy policies, energy efficiency and natural gas. It also include
a range of activities dealing with coal, electric power and energy policies and
strategies. Issues relating to new and renewable energy resources are dealt with
by ECE's Special Coordinating Unit.
http://www.unece.org/energy/enerhom1.html
UNDP. Energy after Rio - Prospects and Challenges
Chapter 2 Energy and Major Global Issues
Recent cross-country data for 114 countries shows the linkages between energy
consumption and the distribution of income. First, total energy consumption per
capita, measured in kilograms of oil equivalent, increases with the per capita
GDP. Second, the mix of energy carriers varies with income and its distribution
(Leach, 1992). In particular, reliance on biomass is greater among countries
with lower incomes, among countries with more unequal income distributions, and
among countries with relatively small urban populations. The income level and
inequality/poverty effects are also quite sizeable in magnitude.
The end-uses of human energy in villages show that the inhabitants,
particularly its women and children, face burdens (e.g., gathering fuelwood and
fetching water) that have been largely eliminated in urban settings by the
deployment of appropriate forms of inanimate energy. There are also serious
gender and health implications arising from rural energy consumption patterns (Batliwala,
1982; Batliwala, 1987; and Batliwala, 1984).
http://www.undp.org/seed/energy/chapter2.html
World Energy Assessment Report
World Energy Council
http://www.worldenergy.org/wec-geis/
Newsletters
Climate Change Bulletin. published by
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change/UNEP/IPCC/IUC available
via the Internet at http://www.unep.ch/iucc.html
or http://www.unfcc.de
ENERGIA Newsletter
contact: Sheila Oparaocha, ENERGIA Network, Email : energia@etcnl.nl
http://www.energia.org/
Energy Efficiency.
Quarterly Bulletin No 25. Center for Energy Efficiency.
http://www.glasnet.ru/~cenef
Listserver
CSD NGO Energy & Climate Change Caucus
To subscribe go to www.csdngo.org/csdngo
and click on Energy & Climate Change under 'Issue Caucuses'
Energyforum
To join send a blank e-mail to Energyforum-subscribe@egroups.com