The G8 and G20 as Global Steering Committees for Energy: Opportunities and Constraints
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1758-5899.2011.00121.x |
| Date | 01 September 2011 |
| Published date | 01 September 2011 |
The G8 and G20 as Global Steering
Committees for Energy:
Opportunities and Constraints
Thijs Van de Graaf
Ghent University
Kirsten Westphal
Institute for International and Security Affairs, Berlin
Abstract
This article looks at the opportunities and constraints for the G8 and G20 to act as steering committees in global
energy governance. It starts from the premise that, intrinsically, informal consultation mechanisms among major
powers have a large potential to act as coordinating bodies for global energy. After assessing the G8’s recent energy
work, the article finds that the G8 has made notable strides on the energy front, particularly in areas of low
controversy such as energy efficiency, but that its scope of action is limited by internal divisions, a lack of legitimacy,
the absence of several key players and the lack of mechanisms for successful implementation of collective action.
While some of these problems are addressed by the recent shift to the G20, the G20’s ability to act as a global energy
governor remains limited. Nevertheless, by sketching the G20’s recent actions to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, we
show that the G20 does have a large potential to make progress in addressing specific energy dossiers. The article
concludes by making some concrete policy recommendations for G20 leaders to make full use of this forum’s
potential.
Policy Implications
•Efforts to solve the various global energy problems are doomed to fail if they do not engage the most relevant and
powerful players in this particular issue area. Only a handful of countries are responsible for the bulk of global
energy consumption and CO
2
emissions.
•As long as large countries are reluctant to transfer substantial authority over energy issues to formal multilateral set-
tings, informal and high-level forums such as the G8 and G20 fulfil a paramount function: they ensure continuous
dialogue and deliberation with regard to this highly strategic and complex policy issue.
•While the G20 continues to be plagued by internal divisions on energy and a lack of mechanisms for successful
implementation of collective action, compared to the G8 it scores much better in terms of representativeness and
the inclusion of all key energy players on an equal footing.
•To make full use of the G20 as an energy forum the leaders should be farsighted, restrict the number of participants
to a maximum of 20, treat energy issues iteratively, allow for independent monitoring of the commitments, and
reach out to nonmember countries in a structured manner.
Our world is confronted by a twin climate and energy
crisis. Emerging economies have followed in the foot-
steps of rich nations and are fuelling their rapid growth
with carbon-intensive energy sources. These energy
sources, and especially oil, are increasingly expensive to
extract and cause our climate to warm at a destructive
pace. At the same time, the homes of 1.4 billion people
are still not plugged into the power grid and, in many
producing countries, the energy sector continues to be
associated with corruption and even human rights
abuses. Equally disturbing is the fact that, in spite of the
magnitude of these pressing energy challenges, states
have so far failed to muster an adequate multilateral
response. Many of the world’s energy governance insti-
tutions are either toothless or are struggling to remain
relevant in an era of rising multipolarity and a profound
crisis of multilateralism. The institutional landscape of
energy provides a scattered picture of regional
Global Policy Volume 2 . Special Issue . September 2011
Global Policy (2011) 2:SI doi: 10.1111/j.1758-5899.2011.00121.x ª2011 London School of Economics and Political Science and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Research Article
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