Thijs Van de Graaf | Ghent University (original) (raw)
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Papers by Thijs Van de Graaf
International Studies Review, 2013
Energy Research & Social Science, 2014
Over the past few years, global energy governance (GEG) has emerged as a major new field of enqui... more Over the past few years, global energy governance (GEG) has emerged as a major new field of enquiry in international studies. Scholars engaged in this field seek to understand how the energy sector is governed at the global level, by whom and with what consequences. By focusing on governance, they broaden and enrich the geopolitical and hard-nosed security perspectives that have long been, and still are, the dominant perspectives through which energy is analysed. Though still a nascent field, the literature on GEG is thriving and continues to attract the attention of a growing number of researchers. This article reviews the GEG literature as it has developed over the past 10 years. Our aim is to highlight both the progress and limitations of the field, and to identify some opportunities for future research. The article proceeds as follows. First, it traces the origins of the GEG literature (section " Origins and roots of GEG research "). The subsequent sections deal with the two topics that have received the most attention in the GEG literature: Why does energy need global governance (section " The goals and rationale of global energy governance ")? And, who governs energy (section " Mapping the global energy architecture ")? We then address a third question that has received far less attention: How well or poor is energy governed (section " Evaluating global energy governance ")? In our conclusions (section " Conclusions and outlook "), we reflect on the current state of GEG, review recent trends and innovations, and identify some questions that warrant future consideration by scholars. This article is published as part of a thematic collection on global governance. Origins and roots of global energy governance (GEG) research
There is mounting evidence that global oil demand will peak between 2020 and 2040, supported by r... more There is mounting evidence that global oil demand will peak between 2020 and 2040, supported by rational economics (inter-fuel competition and efficiency gains) and environmental policies. The perspective of a peak in world oil demand poses a serious economic threat to petrostates whose GDP largely depends on oil export revenues. This article develops a repertoire of five possible strategies that oil-exporting countries can follow in a carbon-constrained world: quota agreements, price wars, efficiency, compensation, and economic diversification. The analysis suggests that the strategic behavior of oil exporters could yield important effects on climate policies, oil prices and related rents, the energy security of importers, and global geopolitics. The findings suggest that models of decarbonization and global energy security need to incorporate more explicitly the strategic behavior of oil exporters.
— Transnational standards for disclosure have become a defining feature of global governance and ... more — Transnational standards for disclosure have become a defining feature of global governance and sound economic development , yet little is known about their effectiveness. This study statistically explores the efficacy of such standards for the important case of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international non-governmental organization which maintains a voluntary standard for revenue transparency in the extractive industries. As of November 2015, 31 countries were ''EITI Compliant " and another 49 were ''EITI Candidates. " In total, 49 countries had disclosed payments and revenues worth some 1.67trillioninmorethan200′′EITIReports",andover90majorcompaniesinvolvedinoil,gas,andminingarecommittedtosupportingtheEITI.TheEITIhasalsoreceivedsupportfrom84globalinvestmentinstitutionsthatcollectivelymanageabout1.67 trillion in more than 200 ''EITI Reports " , and over 90 major companies involved in oil, gas, and mining are committed to supporting the EITI. The EITI has also received support from 84 global investment institutions that collectively manage about 1.67trillioninmorethan200′′EITIReports",andover90majorcompaniesinvolvedinoil,gas,andminingarecommittedtosupportingtheEITI.TheEITIhasalsoreceivedsupportfrom84globalinvestmentinstitutionsthatcollectivelymanageabout16 trillion in energy infrastructural assets. Moreover, the European Union, African Union, G8 and G20, and the United Nations have all endorsed the EITI. This article provides the first broad empirical examination of the EITI's effectiveness in improving governance and economic development outcomes in its member countries using non-parametric tests, regression analysis, and data from the World Bank. We analyze the performance of the first 16 countries to attain EITI Compliance Status over the period of 1996–2014. We find, interestingly, that in most metrics EITI countries do not perform better during EITI compliance than before it, and that they do not outperform other countries. We postulate four possible explanations behind the relative weakness of the EITI: a limited mandate, its voluntary nature, stakeholder resistance, and dependence on strong civil society.
International Studies Review, 2013
The Review of International Organizations, 2012
The concept of a regime complex has proved fruitful to a burgeoning literature in international r... more The concept of a regime complex has proved fruitful to a burgeoning literature in international relations, but it has also opened up new questions about how and why they develop over time. This article describes the history of the energy regime complex as it has changed over the past 40 years, and interprets this history in light of an interpretive framework of the sources of institutional change. One of its principal contributions is to highlight what Stephen Krasner referred to as a pattern of “punctuated equilibrium” reflecting both periods of stasis and periods of innovation, as opposed to a gradual process of change. We show that the timing of innovation depends on dissatisfaction and shocks and that the nature of innovation—that is, whether it is path-dependent or de novo—depends on interest homogeneity among major actors. This paper is the first to demonstrate the empirical applicability of the punctuated equilibrium concept to international regime complexes, and contributes to the eventual development of a dynamic theory of change in regime complexes.
Review of International Organization, 2012
International Studies Review, 2013
Energy Research & Social Science, 2014
Over the past few years, global energy governance (GEG) has emerged as a major new field of enqui... more Over the past few years, global energy governance (GEG) has emerged as a major new field of enquiry in international studies. Scholars engaged in this field seek to understand how the energy sector is governed at the global level, by whom and with what consequences. By focusing on governance, they broaden and enrich the geopolitical and hard-nosed security perspectives that have long been, and still are, the dominant perspectives through which energy is analysed. Though still a nascent field, the literature on GEG is thriving and continues to attract the attention of a growing number of researchers. This article reviews the GEG literature as it has developed over the past 10 years. Our aim is to highlight both the progress and limitations of the field, and to identify some opportunities for future research. The article proceeds as follows. First, it traces the origins of the GEG literature (section " Origins and roots of GEG research "). The subsequent sections deal with the two topics that have received the most attention in the GEG literature: Why does energy need global governance (section " The goals and rationale of global energy governance ")? And, who governs energy (section " Mapping the global energy architecture ")? We then address a third question that has received far less attention: How well or poor is energy governed (section " Evaluating global energy governance ")? In our conclusions (section " Conclusions and outlook "), we reflect on the current state of GEG, review recent trends and innovations, and identify some questions that warrant future consideration by scholars. This article is published as part of a thematic collection on global governance. Origins and roots of global energy governance (GEG) research
There is mounting evidence that global oil demand will peak between 2020 and 2040, supported by r... more There is mounting evidence that global oil demand will peak between 2020 and 2040, supported by rational economics (inter-fuel competition and efficiency gains) and environmental policies. The perspective of a peak in world oil demand poses a serious economic threat to petrostates whose GDP largely depends on oil export revenues. This article develops a repertoire of five possible strategies that oil-exporting countries can follow in a carbon-constrained world: quota agreements, price wars, efficiency, compensation, and economic diversification. The analysis suggests that the strategic behavior of oil exporters could yield important effects on climate policies, oil prices and related rents, the energy security of importers, and global geopolitics. The findings suggest that models of decarbonization and global energy security need to incorporate more explicitly the strategic behavior of oil exporters.
— Transnational standards for disclosure have become a defining feature of global governance and ... more — Transnational standards for disclosure have become a defining feature of global governance and sound economic development , yet little is known about their effectiveness. This study statistically explores the efficacy of such standards for the important case of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international non-governmental organization which maintains a voluntary standard for revenue transparency in the extractive industries. As of November 2015, 31 countries were ''EITI Compliant " and another 49 were ''EITI Candidates. " In total, 49 countries had disclosed payments and revenues worth some 1.67trillioninmorethan200′′EITIReports",andover90majorcompaniesinvolvedinoil,gas,andminingarecommittedtosupportingtheEITI.TheEITIhasalsoreceivedsupportfrom84globalinvestmentinstitutionsthatcollectivelymanageabout1.67 trillion in more than 200 ''EITI Reports " , and over 90 major companies involved in oil, gas, and mining are committed to supporting the EITI. The EITI has also received support from 84 global investment institutions that collectively manage about 1.67trillioninmorethan200′′EITIReports",andover90majorcompaniesinvolvedinoil,gas,andminingarecommittedtosupportingtheEITI.TheEITIhasalsoreceivedsupportfrom84globalinvestmentinstitutionsthatcollectivelymanageabout16 trillion in energy infrastructural assets. Moreover, the European Union, African Union, G8 and G20, and the United Nations have all endorsed the EITI. This article provides the first broad empirical examination of the EITI's effectiveness in improving governance and economic development outcomes in its member countries using non-parametric tests, regression analysis, and data from the World Bank. We analyze the performance of the first 16 countries to attain EITI Compliance Status over the period of 1996–2014. We find, interestingly, that in most metrics EITI countries do not perform better during EITI compliance than before it, and that they do not outperform other countries. We postulate four possible explanations behind the relative weakness of the EITI: a limited mandate, its voluntary nature, stakeholder resistance, and dependence on strong civil society.
International Studies Review, 2013
The Review of International Organizations, 2012
The concept of a regime complex has proved fruitful to a burgeoning literature in international r... more The concept of a regime complex has proved fruitful to a burgeoning literature in international relations, but it has also opened up new questions about how and why they develop over time. This article describes the history of the energy regime complex as it has changed over the past 40 years, and interprets this history in light of an interpretive framework of the sources of institutional change. One of its principal contributions is to highlight what Stephen Krasner referred to as a pattern of “punctuated equilibrium” reflecting both periods of stasis and periods of innovation, as opposed to a gradual process of change. We show that the timing of innovation depends on dissatisfaction and shocks and that the nature of innovation—that is, whether it is path-dependent or de novo—depends on interest homogeneity among major actors. This paper is the first to demonstrate the empirical applicability of the punctuated equilibrium concept to international regime complexes, and contributes to the eventual development of a dynamic theory of change in regime complexes.
Review of International Organization, 2012