Energy and Global Climate Change: Bridging the Sustainable Development Divide

Energy and Global Climate Change: Bridging the Sustainable Development Divide focuses attention on two urgent global development challenges faced by the UN and its member states: access to sustainable energy for all, and global climate change. This book presents compelling evidence about an often neglected aspect of the energy–climate change–development nexus faced by millions of poor: problems caused by the use of inefficient and polluting energy sources, and the lack of access to sustainable energy services.
 
Based on a detailed examination of major UN global climate change and sustainable development negotiated outcomes over the course of several decades, this book argues in a powerful and insightful manner that intergovernmental negotiated outcomes aimed at solving the climate change and energy access challenges have been restricted by being placed in different negotiating silos. This siloization or compartmentalization has resulted in separate tracks of negotiated outcomes on two inextricably linked global development challenges; and, has thereby hindered prospects for integrated action.
 
In the context of UN led global agreements on climate change and sustainable development goals, which include separate goals on energy access and climate change, this book highlights the importance of bold action linking the energy access and climate change related development agendas. By addressing the heavy reliance on inefficient and polluting energy services which result in indoor pollution and short–lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) that tragically impact millions of poor, this book sets out a unique agenda for shared and integrated action in the UN sustainable development agenda.

1. Confronting the Neglected Nexus Between Climate Change and Energy Access for the Poor

2. Where is the Energy in Global Climate Change Negotiations Outcomes? Examining key UN global climate change outcomes from 1992–2014 for references to nexus between climate change and energy access for the poor

3. Where s the Energy in Key UN Global Outcomes on Sustainable Development: Examining the record of UNCHE 1972– Rio+20 2012 for references to nexus between climate change and energy access for the poor

4. Understanding the Acronym Soup of Voluntary Initiatives and Partnerships on Sustainable Development within the UN Content: Locating Energy Access and Climate Change voluntary efforts

5. Towards an Integrated Framwork on Energy Access for the Poor and Climate Change: Issues to consider for the UN led post–2015 development agenda

Dr Anilla Cherian is an independent, global energy and sustainable development expert who has worked with a number of UN organizations and globally recognized research institutions and foundations over the course of the past two decades. She has provided strategic advice, prepared expert reports and published peer–reviewed papers on a wide range of topics including global climate change, energy for sustainable development, energy access and poverty reduction, financing for sustainable development, water and sanitation, and the conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity resources. She has received fellowships and grant funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Institute for the Study of World Politics.