Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Energy and Sustainable Development at Global Environmental Summits: An Evolving Agenda

  • Published:
Environment, Development and Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents a framework for understanding energy issues in the context of sustainable development. It posits that there are three important ways in which energy is related to sustainable development: (a) energy as a source of environmental stress, (b) energy as a principal motor of macroeconomic growth and (c) energy as a prerequisite for meeting basic human needs. These three dimensions correspond to the three dimensions of the often-used triangle of sustainable development: environmental, economic, and social. Using this framework, the paper traces how successive environmental summits at Stockholm (1972), Rio de Janeiro (1992) and Johannesburg (2002) have dealt with energy issues. It identifies a slow, surprising and important evolution of how energy issues have been treated at these global discussions. Energy has received increasing prominence at these meetings and become more firmly rooted in the framework of sustainable development. Stockholm was primarily concerned with the environmental dimension, Rio de Janeiro focused on both the environmental and economic dimensions, and the major headway made at Johannesburg was the meaningful addition of the social dimension and the linking of energy issues to the UN's Millennium Development Goals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adede, A.O.: 1992, ‘International environmental law from Stockholm to Rio’, Environmental Policy and Law, 22(2), 88–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agarwal, A., Narain, S., and Sharma, A. (eds): 1999, Green Politics: Global Environmental Negotiations 1, New Delhi, Centre for Science and Environment.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, L.: 1979, OPEC Oil, Oelgeschlager, Gunn & Hain Publishers, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Askari, H. and Cummings, J.T.: 1978, Oil, OECD, and the Third World: A Vicious Triangle?, Austin, University of Texas Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banuri, T. and Najam, A.: 2002, Civic Entrepreneurship: A Civil Society Perspective on Sustainable Development, Islamabad, Gandhara Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banuri, T., Hyden, G., Juma, C. and Rivera, M.: 1994, Sustainable Human Development: From Concept to Operation, New York, United Nations Development Programme.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baranzini, A., Goldemberg, J. and Speck, S.: 2000, ‘A future for carbon taxes’, Ecological Economics, 32(3), 395–412.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M.A., Levine, M.D., Short, W. and Koomey, J.G.: 2001, ‘Scenarios for a clean energy future’, Energy Policy, 29(14), 1179–1196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S.A. and Yucel, M.: 1999, Oil Prices and U.S. aggregate economic activity: A question of neutrality,' Economic and Financial Review, Second Quarter, Dallas, TA, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, pp. 16–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chasek, P.: 2001, Earth Negotiations: Analyzing Thirty Years of Environmental Diplomacy, Tokyo, United Nations University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chayes, A. and Chayes, A.H.: 1995, The New Sovereignty: Compliance with International Regulatory Agreements, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, R. and Timberlake, L.: 1982, Stockholm Plus Ten: Promises, Promises?, London, Earthscan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cleveland, C.J., Costanza, R., Hall, C.A.S. and Kaufmann, R.: 1984, Energy and the U.S. economy: A biophysical perspective, Science, 255, 890–897.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devarajan, S., Miller, M.J. and Swanson, E.V.: 2002, Goals for Development: History, Prospects, Costs, Washington DC, The World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ebohon, O.J.: 1996, ‘Energy, economic growth and causality in developing countries: A case study of Tanzania and Nigeria’, Energy Policy, 24(5), 447–453.

    Google Scholar 

  • EIA.: 2001, Annual Energy Review, Washington, DC, Energy Information Administration.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fomerand, J.: 1996, ‘UN Conferences: Media events or genuine diplomacy?’ Global Governance, 2(3), 361–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Founex.: 1972, Development and Environment. Report and Working Papers of Experts Convened by the Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Founex, Switzerland, June 4-12, 1971), Paris, Mouton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, G.: 2002, The challenge for Johannesburg: Creating a more secure world, State of the World 2002, New York, W.W. Norton, pp. 4–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, R.N.: 1992, Negotiating Survival: Four Priorities after Rio, New York, Council on Foreign Relations Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldemberg, J. and Johansson, T.B.: 1995, ‘Energy as an instrument for socio-economic development’, in T.B. Johansson and J. Goldemberg (eds.), Energy for Sustainable Development: A Policy Agenda, New York, United Nations Development Programme, pp. 9-17

    Google Scholar 

  • Haas, P.: 2002, ‘UN conferences and constructivist governance of the environment’, Global Governance, 8(2), 82–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, J.D.: 1983, ‘Oil and the macroeconomy since World War II’, Journal of Political Economy, 91, 228–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hass, P.M., Levy. M.A. and Parson, E.A.: 1992, ‘Appraising the Earth Summit: How should we judge UNCED's success’, Environment, 34(8), 12–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hondroyiannis, G., Lolos, S. and Papapetrou, E.: 2002, ‘Energy consumption and economic growth: Assessing the evidence from Greece’, Energy Economics, 24(4), 319–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hooker, M.A.: 1999, Oil and the macroeconomy revisited, Finance and Economics Discussion Series 1999-1943, Washington DC, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

    Google Scholar 

  • Houghton, R.A., and Hackler, J.L.: 2001, Carbon Flux to the Atmosphere from Land-use Changes: 1850-1990, ORNL/CDIAC-79, NDP-050/R1, Oak Rigde, TN, Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy.

    Google Scholar 

  • IPCC: 2001, Synthesis Report of the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, S.P.: 1993, The Earth Summit: The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), London, Graham & Trotman/Martinus Nijhoff.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufmann, R.K.: 1992, ‘A biophysical analysis of the energy/real GDP ratio: Implications for substitution and technical change’, Ecological Economics, 6(1), 35–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufmann, R.K.: 1994, ‘The relation between marginal product and price in US energy markets: Implications for climate change policy’, Energy Economics, 16(2), 145–158.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kay, D.A. and Skolnikoff, E.B.: 1972, World Eco-crisis: International Organizations in Response, Madison, University of Wisconsin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khor, M.: 1992, ‘Losers and winners at Rio’, Third World Resurgence, 24-25, 32–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lélé, S.M.: 1991, ‘Sustainable development: A critical review’, World Development, 19(6): 607–621.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lefohn, A.S.H. and Husar, R.B.: 1999 ‘Estimating historical anthropogenic global sulfur emission patterns for the period 1850-1990’, Atmospheric Environment, 33(21), 3435–3444.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, E., Amann, C., Bringezu, S., Fischer-Kowalski, M., Hüttler, W., Kleijn, R., Moriguchi,Y., Ottke, C., Rodenburg, E., Rogich, D., Schandl, H., Schütz, H., van der Voet, E. and Weisz, H.: 2000, Weight of nations: Material outflows from industrial economies, Washington, DC, World Resources Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marland, G., Boden, T.A. and Andres, R.J.: 2002, Trends: A Compendium of Data on Global Change. Global, Regional, and National CO2 Emissions, Oak Ridge, TN, Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masera, O.R., Saatkamp, B.D. and Kammen, D.M.: 2000, ‘From linear fuel switching to multiple cooking strategies: A critique and alternative to the energy ladder model’, World Development, 28(12), 2083–2103.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCully, P.: 2001, Silenced rivers: The Ecology and Politics of Large Dams, London, Zed Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munasinghe, M.: 1992, Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development, (originally presented at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Washington, DC, World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Munasinghe, M.: 2002, ‘The sustainomics trans-disciplinary meta-framework for making development more sustainable: Applications to energy issues’, International Journal of Sustainable Development 5(1/2), 125–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murcott, S.: 1997, Sustainable development: A meta-review of definitions, principles, criteria, indicators, conceptual frameworks, information systems. Presented at the Annual Conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences held at Seattle, WA, February 13–18.

  • Najam, A.: 1994, The case for a South Secretariat in international environmental negotiation, Program on Negotiation Working Paper 94-8, Cambridge, MA, Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

  • Najam, A.: 1995, ‘An environmental negotiation strategy for the South’, International Environmental Affairs, 7(3), 249–287.

    Google Scholar 

  • Najam, A.: 2002, ‘Financing sustainable development: Crises of legitimacy’, Progress in Development Studies, 2(2), 153–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Najam, A. and Page, T.: 1998, ‘The climate convention: Deciphering the Kyoto protocol’, Environmental Conservation, 25(3), 187–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Najam, A., Poling, J.M., Yamagishi, N., Straub, D.G., Sarno, J., DeRitter, S.M. and Kim, E.M.: 2002, ‘From Rio to Johannesburg: Progress and prospects’, Environment, 44(7), 26–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ndiema, C.K.W., Mpendazoe, F.M. and Williams, A.: 1998, ‘Emission of pollutants from a biomass stove’, Energy Conversion and Management, 39(13), 1357–1367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pirages, D.: 1978, Global Ecopolitics: The New Context for International Relations, North Scituate, Duxbury Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, A.K.N.: 2002, ‘Energy technologies and policies for rural development’, in T.B. Johansson and J. Goldemberg (eds.) Energy for Sustainable Development: A Policy Agenda, New York, United Nations Development Programme, pp. 115–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rowland, W.: 1973, The Plot to Save the World, Toronto, Clarke, Irwin & Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sachs, W. (ed): 2002, The Jo'burg memo: Fairness in a Fragile World, Berlin, Heinrich Boll Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadorsky, P.: 1999, ‘Oil price shocks and stock market activity’, Energy Economics, 21(5), 449–469.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seyfang, G. and Jordan, A.: 2002, ‘The Johannesburg Summit and sustainable development: How effective are environmental mega-conferences?’, Yearbook of International Co-operation on Environment and Development, 2002/2003, London, Earthscan, pp. 19–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smil, V.: 1994, Energy in World History, Boulder, CO, Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Speck, S.: 1999, ‘Energy and carbon taxes and their distributional implications’, Energy Policy, 27(11), 659–667.

    Google Scholar 

  • St. Louis, V.L., Kelly, C.A., Duchemin, E., Rudd, J.W.M. and Rosenberg, D.M.: 2000, ‘Reservoir surfaces as sources of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere: A global estimate’, BioScience, 50, 766–775.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern D.I. and Kaufmann, R.K.: 1996, ‘Estimates of global anthropogenic methane emissions 1860-1993’, Chemosphere, 33, 159–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stern, D.I.: 2000, ‘A multivariate cointegration analysis of the role of energy in the US macroeconomy’, Energy Economics, 22(2): 267–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suarez, C.E.: 1995, ‘Energy needs for sustainable development: Energy as an instrument for socio-economic development’, in T.B. Johansson and J. Goldemberg (eds.), Energy for Sustainable Development: A Policy Agenda, New York, United Nations Development Programme, pp. 18–27.

  • Susskind, L.E.: 1994, Environmental Diplomacy: Negotiating more Effective Global Agreements, New York, Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tolba, M.K.: 1998, Global Environmental Diplomacy: Negotiating Environmental Agreements for theWorld, 1973-1992, Cambridge, MA, MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNDP: 1990, Human Development Report 1990, New York, United Nations Development Programme and Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNDP: 2002, Human Development Report 2002, New York, United Nations Development Programme and Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Varma, A.: 2003, ‘UK's climate change levy: Cost effectiveness, competitiveness and environmental impacts’, Energy Policy, 31(1), 51–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wamukonya, L.: 1995, ‘Energy consumption in three Kenyan households: A survey’, Biomass and Bioenergy, 8(6), 445–451.

    Google Scholar 

  • WCD: 2001, Dams and development: Report of the World Commission on Dams, London, Earthscan Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • WCED: 1987, Our common future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, New York, Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank: 2002, World Development Indicators, Washington, DC, CD-ROM, World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • WRI: 2002, World Resources 2002-03, New York, CD-ROM, World Resources Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, Z.X.: 2000, ‘Can China afford to commit itself an emissions cap? An economic and political analysis’, Energy Economics, 22(6), 587–614.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of International Relations; Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, Fredrick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Boston University, 152 Bay State Road, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Adil Najam

  2. Department of Geography; Center for Energy and Environmental Studies, Fredrick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Boston University, 152 Bay State Road, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Cutler J. Cleveland

Authors
  1. Adil Najam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Cutler J. Cleveland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Najam, A., Cleveland, C.J. Energy and Sustainable Development at Global Environmental Summits: An Evolving Agenda. Environment, Development and Sustainability 5, 117–138 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025388420042

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025388420042

Search

Navigation