Research
Energy and sustainable development
In 2004, as previously planned, CIEP begain developing its third research theme. For this theme a number of research projects and activities are combined, covering a variety of topics, amongst others: climate change, innovation, energy poverty, development issues in mineral economies and corporate social responsibility. Several of these topics will also be addressed under themes A and B. However, they deserve additional, separate, attention. The success of climate change policies is contingent on two developments: first, the success of innovation and technological breakthroughs; and second, on the international community's ability to develop a coherent and shared strategy to cooperate on the issue of climate change. Strong growth in CO2 emissions is expected to come from developing countries, partly caused by the strong economic growth of China, India and Brasil, and partly caused by the international drive to reduce energy poverty. In this light, climate change, international relations, innovation policies, economic growth in developing countries and reduction of energy poverty are all inextricably intertwined.
A second element of energy and sustainable development is the development of oil and gas economies. The largest portion of the world's energy resources are located in developing countries. Experience and analysis of the OPEC countries have shown that the so-called black gold is not as beneficial as the name indicates. The problems that producers of energy resources face are not very different from those of other developing countries, but the magnitude of problems differ due to the high rent industrial activities. To name just a few, these problems include accountability, corruption, badly functioning institutions, unequal distribution of wealth and power (certain population groups and/or regions are excluded from the revenues), an underdeveloped civil society, high unemployment levels, high population growth, etc. The high revenues from exporting energy resources do have the potential to be a driver of further development, but more often than not revenues are spent on large prestigeous projects or large infrastructural investments. Further, revenues skew the economic development towards a single sector economy, promote a 'lazy' form of government because income is guaranteed and in the worst cases, dependent on oil and natural gas revenues rather than an electorate to remain in power, have strong potential for human rights violations. Another concern is the environmental situtation for production locations and transit areas.
A more recent topic within this theme of energy and sustainable development is corporate social responsibility and the failure of producer governments to turn energy income into development. Some of the large international oil companies have developed strict corporate norms on environmental and social issues, under which they are willing to operate in countries but these norms are often stricter than the norms that host governments or national or other companies apply. Companies can create many local benefits, but these are sometimes lost by conflicting policies or interests of local elites in the host countries. The Chad project, in which the World-Bank played an important role and where they insisted on strict governance of the energy-related expenditures, is an example of a new approach to tackle such problems.
- Energy transition
- The geo-political dimensions of the climate change debate
- Sustainable development in oil and gas economies