The Need for a Legal Definition of 'Sustainable Energy' for a Sustainable Future (original) (raw)

Sustainable Development: Energy Matters

The lecture deals with the role of energy in sustainable development of human society, and related energy issues. Social, cultural and technological development of human society is intertwined with the discovery and development of energy sources. The journey of development began over a million years ago with the discovery of fire which continues unabated even today needing ever more energy to fuel the inflationary cycle of development. In the first part of the lecture the role of energy in development is reviewed in relation to the development of energy sources and their use. In the second part of the lecture energy consumption for various regions of the world is analyzed and energy indicators of development are identified. Vast disparity between the developed and developing countries is reflected in their energy consumption patterns. As developing countries strive to join the ranks of developed countries, the developed ones endeavor not only to sustain their development but also to achieve higher levels of the quality of life for their people. This together with the growing population has led to an ever increasing consumption of energy which at present is supplied by non-renewable sources, predominantly fossil fuels. This in turn has led to degradation of our atmosphere, land and water. The third part of the lecture emphasizes on the need to develop new and renewable sources of clean energy which shall have the potential to sustainably supply the energy needs of future while preserving our environment. The concluding section of the lecture focuses on energy sustainability and security for the generations to come.

Sustainable energy development: History of the concept and emerging themes

Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2021

Sustainable energy development is a complex multi-dimensional concept that can vary in meaning based on the context it is applied in and the perspective of the user. The role of energy in achieving sustainable development was recognized when the concept was first put forward in 1987. However, what that role consisted of was not made clear. Since then, the concept of sustainable energy development has developed to become a prominent policy objective on the international agenda, as evidenced by the introduction of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 7 on energy. This paper presents an overview of the history of the concept as well as its emerging themes. Through a citation analysis, the most cited open-access publications relevant to the concept were identified. A thematic analysis of these most cited publications led to the identification of four interrelated themes of sustainable energy development; access to affordable modern energy services, sustainable energy supply, sustainable energy consumption, and energy security. The overarching goal of sustainable energy development was defined as furthering sustainability. Equitable access to affordable and reliable modern energy services is integral to sustainable development. A transformation of the current energy system is necessary to reduce its harmful impacts, both on the supply and demand side. This transformation is not possible unless it is economically viable through, for instance, cost-competitive technologies and changes in energy pricing to reflect the external costs of energy. Highlights-Sustainable energy development is a young multi-dimensional concept-Common themes of sustainable energy development are identified-Access to modern energy services for all is essential to further sustainable development

Energy, environment and sustainable development

Applied Energy, 1999

The views expressed in this paper are those of the writers. They do not necessarily represent the views of the European Commission. The INNESTO partners are not responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained in this document. Reproduction of the text or part of it is authorised provided that the source is acknowledged.

Sustainable development of energy systems

2014

Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'' [Our Common Future, Report of the Brundtland Commission, 1987] With the expected costs of climate-change adaptation growing by the day and the price of new technology falling, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, perhaps by 80-95% by 2050, is becoming a necessary part of sustainable development. Relevant measures need to be technically and economically feasible, and will likely increase employment and improve regional development. A significant technology shift will be necessary to fulfil such goals, and advanced energy conversion and management is becoming a primary focus of this technology shift. This shift is increasingly evident in such areas as renewable electricity and heat generation, biofuel and electricity use for transport, efficiency improvement in all sectors but especially buildings and transportation, process integration and polygeneration, and also in the planning and management of urban and regional energy systems. Advances will be achieved by a combination of market mechanisms, learning curves, binding targets, certificate trading, financial mechanisms and fiscal policies. The green economy should not only help solve many of the above issues but also provide for employment and regional development. With the change of direction slowly happening in main economies, being brought by economic gains stemming from new technology development and the need for security of energy supply, environmental protection and the green economy is becoming a new tenet in many jurisdictions across the globe.

1 ’ Sustainable energy for developing countries

2009

Developing and emerging economies face thus a two-fold energy challenge in the 21st century: Meeting the needs of billions of people who still lack access to basic, modern energy services while simultaneously participating in a global transition to clean, low-carbon energy systems. And historic rates of progress toward increased efficiency, de-carbonization, greater fuel diversity and lower pollutant emissions need to be greatly accelerated in order to do so.

Green Energy Strategies Towards Sustainable Development for Environment and Society

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2023

In the year 2020, fossil fuels, led by coal, natural gas, and oil, will contribute 61.3% of the world's electrical production, posing the greatest sustainability problem currently facing humanity. The world's energy needs are currently outstripping available generation capacity by a wide margin. Thus, it is necessary to effectively and securely meet future energy demands. Use of renewable energy sources should be a component of energy solutions. To meet the world's primary energy and electricity needs at the moment, renewable energy sources do not contribute significantly enough to the primary energy supply. Fossil fuel dependence will unavoidably persist in the ensuing decades in both industrialised and emerging countries. The issue is worse in developing nations than it is for developed countries. It appears that many emerging nations have been attempting to reform their energy industries. It appears that implementing innovations is challenging. The three biggest obstacles to the development of renewable energy are price, market share, and policy. Numerous nations have energy policies that assist sustainable development in connection to factors like the economic, social, and industrial ones. It appears that many emerging nations have been attempting to reform their energy industries. It appears that implementing innovations is challenging. The three biggest obstacles to the development of renewable energy are price, market share, and policy. Numerous nations have energy policies that assist sustainable development in connection to factors like the economic, social, and industrial ones. Introduction: The need for energy is growing incredibly. The industrialised nations account for 28% of the global population and 77% of global energy production, as shown in [1]. The current global population is projected to grow by 1.26 times by 2050, reaching 9.7 billion people. The majority of the world's population, including 90% of population increase, is found in emerging nations. The industrialised nations' energy usage won't rise by 2050 despite the adoption of increasingly effective energy saving measures. People generally want to build their own electricity-generating facilities in emerging nations, nevertheless. One of the biggest and most significant challenges facing humanity in the twenty-first century is the decarbonization of the world's energy systems. Since the energy industry produces nearly two thirds of the world's carbon dioxide, it is essential to combating climate change.Electricity and other basic energy sources are what fuel the global economy's growth [2]. By the year 2020, the combined proven energy reserves of the three main fuels-oil, natural gas, and coal-could only last 53.5 years for oil, 48.8 years for natural gas, and 139 years for coal. 85% of the world's total primary energy consumption comes from these fossil fuels. The most significant environmental challenge of our time is global warming, so cutting carbon emissions is at the core of international environmental policy.[3] It is also

Energy Sustainability of Countries

Renewable and Alternative Energy: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications

The provision of adequate, reliable, and affordable energy, in conformity with social and environmental requirements is a vital part of sustainable development. Currently, countries are facing a two-fold energy challenge: on the one hand they should assure the provision of environmentally sustainable energy, while, on the other, energy services should be reliable, affordable, and socially acceptable. To evaluate such aspects of energy services one needs energy sustainability barometers, which provide the means to monitor the impacts of energy policies and assist policymakers in relevant decision making. Although sustainability is an ambiguous, complex, and polymorphous concept, all energy sustainability barometers incorporate the three major sustainability dimensions: social, economic, and environmental. In this chapter, we review three models for assessing the sustainability of energy development of countries: ESI, SAFE, and EAPI. We also present a brief discussion of the results, ...