Topics and Briefings

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)

Topic 2: Economic Instability and Sustainable Energy

The Issue

In recent years it has become painfully clear that the world is running out of fossil fuels and that those remaining are going to be much more difficult to extract. Because of this and other reasons, energy prices have been on the rise. Rising energy costs have encouraged both governments and private businesses to seek new methods of powering their economy. Some of this energy has come from sustainable sources like wind and solar. Other solutions have come from sources that are arguably less sustainable, for example nuclear fuel, and ethanol.

Points of Contention


With the global economic crisis coming at the same time as the energy crisis, many countries feel that they need to stimulate their economy first and then worry about energy. Even in countries focusing on the energy problem, they are troubled by a lack of capital. With these constraints many countries are turning to easier solutions for the short term; solutions that are not sustainable in the long run. One example of this was the spreading use of Ethanol in the United States following the massive rise in gas prices.

Another point of concern is the developing world. Often alternative energy programs are stifled by developed countries, which are unwilling to fund the problems of the developing world. This leaves developing countries without a way to efficiently to retool in a sustainable fashion. The developed nations are then unwilling to sign onto sustainable energy policies unless they apply to all nations equally, of course not all nations can afford this technology, so often these efforts are stifled.

When looking at sustainable energy it is important to look at the cost of implementation and the environmental effects of installing the technology. For example if you can install a completely neutral facility, but you have to destroy half a rainforest worth of materials to get that facility operational, maybe it would be better to construct a difference facility that uses those resources more efficiently.

Conclusion

The technologies exist to solve the global energy crisis, the problem is figuring out which solutions are really sustainable and which ones only seem to be. It is also important to keep in mind that what works for one area will not necessarily work for another. 

UNEP has a responsibility to provide some broad guidelines on what constitutes sustainable energy and provide some recommendations on what factors the world should consider when choosing alternative energy sources. It is important that these guidelines are realistic and achievable.

Questions

  • Is nuclear and hydropower sustainable?

  • Are fuels like ethanol and some biodiesels more harmful than they are helpful?

  • What makes an energy source sustainable?

  • Should we only look at sustainable energy, or should we also look at other unsustainable methods?

  • Do the environmental impacts of a given solution outweigh its benefits?


Resources

These resources are a place to start looking; they are by no means an exclusive list. It is highly recommended that you find as much outside information as possible because everyone in the committee will have this information.