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ODUMUNC Issue Brief Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

Achieving security and Environmental sustainable development

By Federico Minelli Old Dominion University Model United Nations

Introduction these benefits and costs is a difficult problem for every government and the For most of the 193 UN Member States, international community.2 energy is the key to national development The key to energy security is and individual welfare. Accelerating energy diversification.3 The most readily used use improves standards of living and quality forms of are energy are , gasoline of life. But rising energy use also is the and diesel. Ensuring Member States dominant force in global warming, sea level sufficient access requires diversifying the rise and environmental degradation. sources of energy in way that are consistent Accelerating harms the with their economic development and planet and promises deteriorating quality of environmental needs. life for future generations. For the The United Nations has provided international community, one of the great guidance for all states through the 2015 riddles is how to ensure fair global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) development without undermining future with coordinate all development assistance, welfare? and the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, Energy issues pit post-industrial and which caps emissions of gasses dangerous to industrial states, mostly of the global north, the global climate. But economic assistance against the have-not states of the global to help poorer countries diversify their south, raising painful issue of fairness. energy sources remains scarce. Aggressive energy restrictions are essential to preserve global eco-systems and minimize the impact of global . But restrictions threaten the immediate welfare of energy exporters and the efforts of many countries to lift their people from poverty. Balancing these conflicting problems is exactly the kind of issue the United Nations was created to resolve. And it is vital to stress that global purges is being made.1 For the average family in , for

example, access to air conditioning is a life- 2 ‘Emerging Climate Accord Could Push A/C Out changing event. But as millions of Indian of Sweltering India’s Reach’, New York Times, 12 people gain access, demands for more October 2016, electricity generation and the resulting http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/13/world/as pollution increases rapidly. Balancing all ia/india-air-conditioning.html 3 Daniel Yergin, ‘Ensuring Energy Security’, 1 ‘ surges to record levels Foreign Affairs, March-April 2006 around the world’, BBC World News, 1 June 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/science- http://www.un.org/ga/61/second/daniel_yergin environment-36420750 _energysecurity.pdf Achieving energy security and Environmental sustainable development

As stated by Secretary-General Ban Ki- and will experience our planet’s ecosystem moon, “Energy is the golden thread that at the very brink of collapse. connects economic growth, social equity, Tangible actions must be executed as a and environmental sustainability. reaction to the decisions agreed among The widespread energy poverty international leaders. However, what if you condemns billions to darkness, to ill health, were told that the entire global community to missed opportunities. Energy poverty is a could be powered just by utilizing a solar threat to the achievement of the Millennium energy based plant with a surface Development Goals. It is inequitable and smaller than Spain. unsustainable”. Energy security is , despite being extremely emphasized in the Sustainable Development underrated as an alternate, sustainable Goals. source is able to provide more power by Energy security has become increasingly hitting the Earth in one hour than humanity more important in a day and age where uses in an entire year. If solar panels were energy is used to fuel all aspects of our lives able to be 20 percent more efficient, which and, therefore, must be shaped in the correct has been proven possible through lab tests, way and direction. at turning solar energy into power, then the and renewable global community would only need to cover are the future, as they have the ability to a land area smaller than Spain’s territory reconfigure our future. If we continue to use surface in order to power the entire world, fossil as our main energy source, however, using only renewable energy, by 2030. future generations will have a more This map, from the Land Art Generator challenging environment of energy security, Initiative, shows just how little space is truly necessary:

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Achieving energy security and Environmental sustainable development

Current Situation: atmosphere and has direct linkage to the increase in chronic illnesses, most notably There continues to be a lack of fairness respiratory complications. As we find in the in the distribution of energy which becomes political, economic and social fields, the increasingly evident as, even today, more disparity between developed and developing than 2.8 billion people have no access to world nations is astonishing. However, modern energy, that is electricity for home during the last 20 years, the concept of appliance, daycare medicine and emergency renewability has grown and it has developed operation and internet. Less than half of massively. In late 2015, renewable energy them do not have electricity at all. Nearly 3 cost reached a competitive level with fossil billion people rely on traditional fuels, such fuels and was established as a mainstream as wood and charcoal, for cooking, heating source of energy around the world. This and lighting. convergence in price might help a transition The lack of modern energy services and toward a more equal and secure access to the dependence on traditional fuel methods especially in the developing triggers major counter effects. For example, countries. most of the smoke created by using wood and charcoal ends up polluting the

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Achieving energy security and Environmental sustainable development

Global distribution of resources Credit: British Petroleum, 2014

The ‘100 Percent Renewable’ movement turbines in 2014, India ranked fifth in the plays a leading role advancing the transition world as player in global wind energy of global energy towards renewable. Private market. and public companies, advocates of a The situation the global community is in transition to renewable and clean energy becomes astonishingly clear: one third of the have driven this movement. This campaign world population doesn’t have a stable has encouraged many nations to make the energy source, and most of them rely, as change from high consumption of non- mentioned before, on burning non- renewable energy, to energy systems renewable material. These practices can be stressing renewable energy resources. seen largely in the developing worlds of Financially, the switch from non- and South-East Asia. renewable fossil fuels to renewable energy Access to energy in these environments resources is feasible but expensive this is could very well bring stability and improved why all decision-makers have to collaborate health standards for all citizens inhabiting with UN regulators in order to share those nations. Examples of how increases in technology among both developed nations the access of safe, renewable energy to and developing nations in order to achieve a developing nations leads to better health more equitable worldwide energy security care can be seen within the next decade, as using renewable sources. An example can be the UN has the means to expand the access seen in Africa, as one of the sunniest to modern, sustainable energy services in continents on Earth and with the right health facilities. This is particularly true for instruments and guidance, could become a clinics in rural areas that are not connected leader in Solar Energy. India has increased to the and with little to no the amount of wind turbines in the southern, access to even basic power. Reliable more isolated, regions of the nation. In less electricity is crucial for everyday life, for than one year since the introduction of the jobs and medicine: powering emergency 4

Achieving energy security and Environmental sustainable development medical equipment, for example many types medicine and clinical health, but also to of medicines such as penicillin needs to be industrial production, transportation, store in cool places and performing basic constructions and household electrical health procedures, especially after dark. appliances. Without electricity, there can be However, it is not just a matter of access to no development.

Peak Oil

The Role of the United Nations In support of Sustainable Energy for All, the UN Foundation launched a global Sustainable Energy for All, the initiative Energy Access Practitioner Network launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- composed by 2,000 members spread across moon and World Bank President Jim Kim 170 countries.4 The Network focuses on the has, has one of its main goals, for 2030 to removal of market barriers in order to create ensure universal access to modern energy effective delivery of energy services by services. The UN General Assembly has recognized the importance of this objective. 4 ‘Achieving universal energy access’, United Sustainable energy has also been a widely Nations Foundation, n.d. accepted pillar of the post-2015 http://www.unfoundation.org/what-we- development agenda as the General do/issues/energy-and-climate/clean-energy- Assembly prepares a new set of global development.html goals. 5

Achieving energy security and Environmental sustainable development

promoting the adoption of new technologies plants in Bangladesh, the and innovative financial and business country with most rivers in the world is models for universal energy access to all going to be much cheaper than “installing” a nations. Energy security can be summarized new mine in the middle of Africa. Its in three components branches: reliable cheaper economically maintenance cost is supply, affordable supply, and accessibility. going to be lower, we can also say it’s Firstly, reliable supply is when the cheaper environmentally because after all, source of, energy comes from a secure, we are transitioning to renewable in order to equally shared source, that be a close power stop global warming as well as breaking plant using renewable energy like sun or Earth ecosystem. other types. Finally, accessibility in both physical and Secondly, there is affordable, sustainable financial terms must be able to be accessed energy, which is proven to be cheaper. easily by everyone at all times. Whether it is Developing countries have to be fueled by a farmer in Cameroon, or a teacher in Laos, environmental friendly renewable energy. both should have the same affordability, Green energy is cheaper in many different reliability and accessibility to safe, clean, levels, the cost to install a few hundreds renewable energy consumption. blades near Wellington New Zealand, the windiest place on Earth or a

This issue is one of the most important, crucial report: and truly life changing, that the United Nations has been concerned about this since The World Bank has estimated that to the early 2000’s. achieve the three targets of sustainable energy for all (and the proposed sustainable development goal on energy), United Nations Action total global investments required will be about $600 billion to $800 billion per The scale of resources need to solve energy year, which includes $50 billion per year security have been estimated by the UN in a for energy access alone, and the rest for

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Achieving energy security and Environmental sustainable development

energy efficiency and renewable energy Some of the main goals for the 2030 targets.5 SDG’s are to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy The need to provide a sustainable and services, to substantially increase the share environmentally source that of renewable energy in the global energy can fuel global economic growth has mix, to double the global rate of become a large topic of discussion. With a improvement in energy efficiency, to larger base of available renewable energy enhance international cooperation in order to resources, coupled with an increase in facilitate access to clean energy research and shared energy efficiency technology, technology, including renewable energy, developing nations would be given the tools energy efficiency and advanced, cleaner to economic advantages to the global fossil-fuel technology, to and promote market, in addition to social and investment in energy infrastructure as well environmental co-benefits. as clean . The promotion of efficient and environmental energy has to be done at all the social levels locally, nationally, Country and Bloc Positions regionally and globally. Unfortunately, even if international information sharing on Africa and Latin America: The Member energy efficient technologies can be really States of the African Union and the effective, still today it is limited. By limited Organization of American states are I mean that there is a lack of regulations to especially concerned with cheaper and less control this exchanges as well as a shortage restricted access to liveried sources of of strategic communication and logistical energy. They need help with access to commitment. imported fossil fuels, generation and This can make significant changes in distribution technology, and infrastructure order to prove energy for sustainable investment. As principal beneficiaries of development. One of the most highly recent UN initiatives, they tend to be attended conferences held by the United supportive, but they also to maintain Nations is the Rio +20, that is aimed at the sovereign control of spending in their creation of a set of universally Sustainable countries, resisting efforts to centralize Development Goals (SDGs) which would authority by donor countries. They demand have the ability to balance the that recipient countries alone control how environmental, social and economic energy security investments are made. dimensions of sustainable development. SDG’s revolve around many pressing and Arab League: the country of the Arab controversial global issues; it is of no League generally support their petroleum surprise that one of them happens to be exporting OPEC members such as Bahrain, energy security and renewability.6 Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. These countries work in favor of free trade in fossil 5 United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy fuels and work together to strengthen their for All: Report of the Secretary-General, control over prices. With state budgets A/69/395, 22 September 2014 heavily dependent on petroleum exports, 6 ‘Goal 7—Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, they require high prices. The richer OPEC Sustainable and Modern Energy for All’, UN members of the Arab world are generous Chronicle, April 2015, supports of weaker Arab economies, such as https://unchronicle.un.org/article/goal-7- Egypt, which suffer from reliance on ensure-access-affordable-reliable-sustainable- and-modern-energy-all/ 7

Achieving energy security and Environmental sustainable development importer energy, offset partially by favors action through private firms wherever extensive Arab economic assistance. possible, limiting the funds channeled through international institutions. It also : As an energy importer with few insists on controlling how its development domestic resources but coal and some money is spent, rather than allowing hydroelectric generation capability, China recipient governments to control how money also has suffered extensively from pollution is spent in their sovereign territory. caused by coal burning, as well as and industry, and is sensitive to the need for clean energy sources. It stresses access to Proposals for Action global energy markets. China has invested heavily on , but requires much Some of the proposals for global energy more in its efforts to lift all its people out of security the Economic and Social Council poverty. It encourages other UN Member might consider in this session include: States to emulate its achievements by developing their economies and work to • Setting clear financial targets for help them do this. energy security assistance. • Scheduling a giving conference to : The 28 countries of the publicize the issue and facilitate European Union have invested heavily in greater giving. measure to reduce energy consumption and • Shifting spending authority from ensure greater energy security. Although donor to recipient governments. their remain heavily dependent on • Requiring energy exporters to indigenous coal and imported oil and natural subsidize part of their exports to gas, most are making progress to reduce benefit needy economies. rates of energy consumption growth or • Incentive and mandates to make reverse growth. Major controversies within energy exporting firms share part of the EU include the future role of nuclear their profits with needy economies. energy. Germany is committed to eliminate • Or helping countries de-regulate its nuclear power generation, while , their energy economies to facilitate the and others are greater private investment, expanding nuclear power generating • Possibly including reducing capability. The EU is very supportive of UN environmental standards to facilitate efforts to aid less developed countries in economic growth. their efforts to achieve energy security.

Russia: is highly dependent on oil and exports, especially to Europe and Conclusion China. It also supports expansion of nuclear power, including exports of its own nuclear As the global community comes together to power generation systems, as a solution to face the issues of global climate change, local energy security. caused by the over-use of fossil fuels as a means of energy, as the United Nations, a : is divided on these issues, global community, we will see the strongly supporting the Sustainable manifestation of a system that will benefit development Goals and Paris Climate our global ecosystem and can give rise to Accord, advocating countries that are developing nations. struggling to liberate their economies and Mother Nature gave us a variety of help their people. But the United States also different natural resources that can be used 8

Achieving energy security and Environmental sustainable development as energy source, nation worldwide must find the most appropriate and effective way to use renewable energy. For example, New Zealand could rely solely on wind, and Bangladesh on hydroelectric power. Each country can act to some degree on their own advantage the natural resources available to obtain renewable energy It is time for the world to promote renewable energy, free energy for all, and better energy equilibrium for balanced world equilibrium in order to reduce global consumption, while increasing energy availability for all.

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