Progress Toward Sustainable Energy 2015

Sustainable Energy for All seeks to improve the lives of billions of people across the world and ensure a more sustainable future by working to achieve its three global objectives: universal access to energy; doubling of the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and doubling of the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Accountability and transparency are essential for tracking Sustainable Energy for All's global progress. Doing so will clarify where the initiative stands, how various actions are contributing to the three objectives, how much remains to be accomplished, and where more action is needed to achieve Sustainable Energy For All. The first edition of the Global Tracking Framework (2013) provided a system for regular reporting, based on indicators that are technically rigorous and at the same time feasible to compute from current energy data bases, and that offer scope for progressive improvement over time. This second edition of the SE4ALL Global Tracking Framework provides an update of how the world has been moving towards the three objectives over the period 2010-2012. The report also explores a number of complementary themes. First, it provides further analysis of the financial cost of meeting the SE4ALL objectives as well as the geographical and technological distribution of the investments that need to be made. Second, it explores the extent to which countries around the world have access to the technology needed to make progress towards the three goals. Third, it identifies the improvements in data collection methodologies and capacity building that will be needed to provide a more nuanced and accurate picture of progress over time. Finally, this new edition of the Global Tracking Framework explores and introduces nexus concepts focusing on the links between energy and four priority areas of development: food, water, human health, and gender. Links between most of these areas and energy are well established, but often presented in isolation of each other.

Sustainable Energy for All seeks to improve the lives of billions of people across the world and ensure a more sustainable future by working to achieve its three global objectives: universal access to energy; doubling of the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and doubling of the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Accountability and transparency are essential for tracking Sustainable Energy for All's global progress. Doing so will clarify where the initiative stands, how various actions are contributing to the three objectives, how much remains to be accomplished, and where more action is needed to achieve Sustainable Energy For All. This second edition of the SE4ALL Global Tracking Framework provides an update of how the world has been moving towards the three objectives over the period 2010-2012. The report also explores a number of complementary themes. First, it provides further analysis of the financial cost of meeting the SE4ALL objectives as well as the geographical and technological distribution of the investments that need to be made. Second, it explores the extent to which countries around the world have access to the technology needed to make progress towards the three goals. Third, it identifies the improvements in data collection methodologies and capacity building that will be needed to provide a more nuanced and accurate picture of progress over time. Finally, this new edition of the Global Tracking Framework explores and introduces nexus concepts focusing on the links between energy and four priority areas of development: food, water, human health, and gender. Links between most of these areas and energy are well established, but often presented in isolation of each other.

Sustainable Energy for All seeks to improve the lives of billions of people across the world and ensure a more sustainable future by working to achieve its three global objectives: universal access to energy; doubling of the rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and doubling of the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Accountability and transparency are essential for tracking Sustainable Energy for All's global progress. Doing so will clarify where the initiative stands, how various actions are contributing to the three objectives, how much remains to be accomplished, and where more action is needed to achieve Sustainable Energy For All. The first edition of the Global Tracking Framework (2013) provided a system for regular reporting, based on indicators that are technically rigorous and at the same time feasible to compute from current energy data bases, and that offer scope for progressive improvement over time. This second edition of the SE4ALL Global Tracking Framework provides an update of how the world has been moving towards the three objectives over the period 2010-2012. The report also explores a number of complementary themes. First, it provides further analysis of the financial cost of meeting the SE4ALL objectives as well as the geographical and technological distribution of the investments that need to be made. Second, it explores the extent to which countries around the world have access to the technology needed to make progress towards the three goals. Third, it identifies the improvements in data collection methodologies and capacity building that will be needed to provide a more nuanced and accurate picture of progress over time. Finally, this new edition of the Global Tracking Framework explores and introduces nexus concepts focusing on the links between energy and four priority areas of development: food, water, human health, and gender. Links between most of these areas and energy are well established, but often presented in isolation of each other.

The report finds that, overall, the achievement of all three SDG 7 goals is not on track, and that efforts need to be accelerated if the UNECE region is to achieve the SDG 7 targets by 2030. The report further introduces the Energy for Sustainable Development framework that highlights energy as the golden thread linking energy-related Sustainable Development Goals across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The framework analysis leads to the conclusion that a broader set of energy indicators is required to track energy for sustainable development comprehensively, including indicators covering climate, fossil fuels, and water related metrics, among others.

With the inclusion of access to energy in the sustainable development goals, the role of energy to human existence was finally recognized. Yet, in Africa, this achievement is far from realized. Omorogbe and Ordor bring together experts in their fields to ask what is stalling progress, examining problems from institutions catering to vested interests at the continent's expense, to a need to develop vigorous financial and fiscal frameworks. The ramifications and complications of energy law are labyrinthine: this volume discusses how energy deficits can burden disabled people, women, and children in excess of their more fortunate counterparts, as well as considering environmental issues, including the delicate balance between the necessity of water for drinking and cleaning and the use of water in industrial processes. A pivotal work of scholarship, the book poses pressing questions for energy law and international human rights.

Energy access is an essential prerequisite for economic, social, and human development. The 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) explicitly recognized affordable and clean energy as a key factor in development, alongside education and poverty alleviation. The UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SEforALL) mobilizes international donors, countries, and the private sector to help people in developing countries gain access to modern energy services.To assist in support of SEgorALL goals, this joint study of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provides a comprehensive review of energy poverty policies and programs in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This report measures the progress and impact of energy-access programs and also documents the experience of successful projects. This study reviews cutting-edge methodologies to assist in program design, shares of experiences of successful programs and develops a vision for reaching sustainable energy for all in the LAC region. With electricity coverage at more than 96 percent, LAC is close to becoming the world’s first developing region to achieve universal access to electricity. Despite recent progress, within LAC there are still substantial pockets of energy poverty. Approximately 21.8 million people are without electricity access. More than 80 million people rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking that is burned in fuel-inefficient, primitive stoves. These traditional cooking technologies emit a significant amount of indoor air pollution (IAP), which has been linked to respiratory illnesses and adverse environmental impacts. Thus, in addition to promoting electricity, energy access programs also might give priority to the promotion of cleaner methods cooking by making available better stoves and cleaner burning fuels at reasonable costs. The report also explores ways to measure energy poverty and monitor energy access in developing countries. The accuracy and effectiveness of tools such as the IEA’s household energy data efforts and the Global Tracking Framework depend on collecting information through standardized national surveys. Approaches to measure energy poverty and monitor energy access have increasingly focused on the provision of energy services such as lighting, space conditioning and cooking. The transition from low-quality energy services to more modern forms can be accomplished in different ways. As households in developing countries adopt electricity and clean methods of cooking, they benefit from higher quality, lower cost and convenient to use appliances. However, measuring the societal and developmental benefits of energy investments--though difficult--is important. Two basic approaches have evolved over the years to measure the benefits of energy access: (i) consumer surplus and (ii) regression-based techniques. The consumer surplus approach evaluates the economic benefits of energy services through measuring increased demand resulting from lower costs of such energy end uses such as lighting, radio and television. When possible, rigorous impact evaluation techniques based on multivariate models can be used to more directly measure the socioeconomic benefits associated with energy access and modern energy services including higher income and improved education. In recent years, new approaches for meeting the requirements of modern and sustainable energy services have emerged. Due to technical and market changes, new types of equipment have become available for providing energy services to rural areas. In LAC, three basic models have been developed to provide rural populations with electricity service: (i) main grid extension, (ii) community networks, and (iii) individual home-based systems (including clean cookstoves).

The Routledge Handbook of Energy in Asia presents a comprehensive review of the unprecedented growth of Asian energy over the past quarter of a century. It provides insightful analysis into variation across the continent, whilst highlighting areas of cross-learning and regional cooperation between the developed and developing countries of Asia. Prepared by a team of leading international experts, this book not only captures the East Asian domination, particularly that of China, but also highlights the growing influence of South Asia and the ASEAN. Organised into four parts, the sections include: the demand for energy in the region and its main drivers at the sector level; developments in energy supply, including fossil fuels and renewable energy sources; energy policies and issues such as sector reform and climate change; the transition to a low carbon pathway. This handbook offers a complete picture of Asian energy, covering supply and demand, as well as contemporary challenges in the sector. As such, it is a valuable resource for students and scholars of energy policy, Environmental Studies, and Asian Studies.