Governing Global Energy: Systems, Transitions, Complexity

Date01 January 2011
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1111/j.1758-5899.2010.00059.x
Published date01 January 2011
Governing Global Energy: Systems,
Transitions, Complexity
Aleh Cherp, Jessica Jewell and Andreas Goldthau
Central European University, Budapest
Abstract
Global energy systems face multiple interconnected challenges which need to be addressed urgently and
simultaneously, thus requiring unprecedented energy transitions. This article addresses the implications of such
transitions for global energy governance. It departs from the reductionist approach where governance institutions and
mechanisms are analysed in isolation from each other. Instead, the authors consider governance systems as complex
and historically rooted ‘arenas’ coevolving with the energy issues they address. We argue that effective global energy
governance requires striking a tenuous balance between the determination and eff‌iciency needed to drive energy
transitions with the f‌lexibility and innovation necessary to deal with complexity and uncertainty. The article reviews
three distinct and relatively autonomous global energy governance arenas: energy security, energy access and climate
change. It argues that governance in each of these arenas can be enhanced through strengthening its linkages with
the other two arenas. While widely shared and supported global energy goals are necessary and desirable, there is no
case for a ‘global energy government’ as a single institution or regime. The current complexity of global energy
governance is thus an opportunity to establish a polycentric governance system with various parts fostering
complementary approaches necessary for addressing the highly interlinked energy challenges.
Policy Implications
The three global energy challenges – providing access to modern forms of energy to all people, ensuring energy
security for every nation and minimising the effects of energy systems on the climate should be resolved urgently
and simultaneously. This requires an unprecedented transformation of national energy systems guided by interna-
tionally shared energy goals focused on these challenges.
On the one hand, global energy governance aimed at addressing these challenges should command long-term
commitment, determination, focus and resources with a high level of integration of energy policies across scales of
governance, supply and demand sides of energy systems, and energy technologies.
On the other hand, the complexity of energy challenges calls for wide involvement of different actors as well as f‌lex-
ibility, innovation, openness and diversity. Nations, energy industries and communities will need to f‌ind unique solu-
tions that work for them. No panaceas, either technological or institutional, are likely to succeed.
This combination of determination and f‌lexibility required from global energy governance cannot be achieved
within a single agency or regime but rather requires a polycentric governance system. The seeds of such a system
already exist in three global energy governance arenas focused on energy security, energy access and climate
change. A successful reform will need to transform these arenas by providing stronger interlinkages while preserving
the unique and important characteristics of each of them.
Energy has always been at the centre of human econo-
mies and societies (Smil, 1994). More recently the role of
energy in achieving development goals, and affecting
environmental sustainability, has been recognised (AGE-
CC, 2010; UNDP et al., 2004). Yet, at present the global
energy system has come to face multiple critical
challenges which, taken together, are unprecedented.
These include rapidly rising energy demand in face of
increasing geographic concentration of the remaining
deposits of conventional fuels; the need to mitigate the
impact of energy systems on the climate; and the lack of
access to modern forms of energy for billions of people
(AGECC, 2010; Goldemberg et al., 1987; IEA, 2009b; IPCC,
2007; UNDP et al. 2000, 2004). Energy systems should
reliably meet the ever growing demands of societies that
are increasingly sensitive to even the slightest disrup-
tions, with minimal health and environmental impacts
and risks of accidents or nuclear weapons proliferation.
Global Policy Volume 2 . Issue 1 . January 2011
Global Policy (2011) 2:1 doi: 10.1111/j.1758-5899.2010.00059.x 2011 London School of Economics and Political Science and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Research Article
75

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT