The sustainability of
large hydropower has been under discussion already
before the Three Gorges Project. Policy must consider the
difficult and often negative environmental and social implications of large hydropower
structures. In an effort to find a consensus and develop standards, the World Commission on Dams
(WCD) has established authoritative
recommendations. The dialogue on this report was
taken forward by the Dams and
Development Project, hosted by UNEP. Consensus was reached on the
WCD Core Vales and Strategic Priorities. On the basis of these values,
Hydropower Sustainability Guidelines and an associated
Sustainability Assessment Protocol were developed by the
International Hydropower Association.
As a result of its development to a mature and much-used technology,
wind power
has been confronted with numerous environmental concerns. The World Wind Energy Association has, in October 2005, provided
Sustainability and Due
Diligence Guidelines to promote greater consideration of the
environmental, social and economic aspects of new wind projects.
The changing competitiveness of renewable fuels in the transport fuel market and the
consequent policies in a number of countries have created a whole range of opportunities for
bioenergy, even for global
bioenergy trade. This rapid growth in a multitude of
technologies for production and use is fuelling concerns about sustainability.
WWF has
proposed
Sustainability Standards
for Bioenergy elaborated by the Öko-Institute.
In a publication of April 2007,
UN-Energy, the collaborative
framework on energy for all UN bodies, structures the complex matter of
bioenergy.
Sustainable Bioenergy: A Framework for Decision Makers identifies the issues that need
further analysis and valuation in order for appropriate trade-offs to be made:
while the energy needs of the people are to be met, the local and global
environment must be protected. The lead in this effort was taken by the
Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FA0)
of the UN.
FAO
is also playing a central role in the Global Bioenergy Partnership
(GBEP), which is
working for
sustainable bioenergy development by formulating
standard guidlines.
In a publication of September 2007, the Round Table on
Sustainable Development at the Organsation of Economic Coooperation
and Development (OECD) takes a critical look at current
bioenergy policies. The paper entitled
Biofuels:
Is the Cure Worse
than the Disease? argues that the sustainable potential of biofuels in its currently
commercialised form is lower than widely assumed and
that government policies are inefficient and not a cost-effective
way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially when hindering
international trade. The Round Table proposes to refocus strategies
and objectives regarding biofuels, phase out specific
commercialisation subsidies for first-generation biofuels and
reinforce R&D for second-generation biofuels,
create a single and credible global certification system, discuss
the design of such a system with the WTO, and support developing
countries in identifying economic opportunities from biofuels. The Round Table singles out carbon
taxes as policy instrument of choice.
