Deadline for sending the texts: June 15th, 2012

This issue of Passerelle will focus on three questionings:

1)What are the bases of energy efficieny?

Economic growth and energy efficiency;
The necessary factors for the control of energy consumption;
Energy saving in energy efficiency;
Territorial approaches of energy issues;
Energy policies and models of society ;

2)Which international policies to encourage energy efficiency?

Technology transfer and knowledge sharing;
International cooperation and energy efficiency policies;

3)What are the experiences and initiatives of energy efficiency at the local, national and regional levels?

Energy efficiency and human development;
People empowerment and national/international lobbying groups’ influence;
Local actions for global issues;

Context

Energy management in the world is related to three issues in tension with each other: environmental degradation (pollution, accidents, climate change), economic and social development, and energy security.

Several elements are decisive in building national energy strategies: the need for economic growth, a final energy-intensive consumption, the states’ structure, the competition between states and geopolitical views regarding raw materials.

Inequalities in global energy consumption are linked to the level of economic development of the countries. In spite of a slower energy consumption’s growth, developed countries are still the biggest energy consumers. Emerging countries like China, India or Brazil have to face a demographic growth which goes hand in hand with the rise of their energy consumption. While the economic growth of developing countries is not sufficient enough to create an important energy consumption, their energy sources (oil, uranium) are very much sought after by emerging and developed countries.

These inequalities show that the present way of developing energy consumption is leading the world to a deadlock. What can be done in order to narrow the gaps and ensure an equal access for all to energy services in an environmentally friendly context?

Energy efficiency, which is generally not stressed enough, implies a cross sectoral approach in which the costs of human activities are first controlled and then cut, in different areas: economic, environmental and social (behaviours and habits). Energy efficiency is not limited to the energy sector but is related to actions in industry, building, transports, consuming habits. It questions current economic processes. It concerns as much energy producing and distributing companies as users, households, enterprises and local authorities who all become part of the implementation of energy policies.

Energy efficiency also calls for international cooperation to take up the challenge of sustainable development which can, however, also involve geopolitical negociations.

The energy issue is a core and sensitive issue which can deal with the plural and sometimes conflicting consequences of the development of energy consumption (household appliances, transports, industries), population growth and sustainable economic development. The states’ structures and their evolutions are closely related to the orientation of their energy efficiency strategies. They are vital for all the countries which have to face the challenge of a perennial development in a competitive international environment.

The 6th issue of Passerelle will highlight diverse practices and experiences of energy efficiency. The aspects of governance, financing and multi-actor dialogue will also be addressed. Scholars, elected representatives, associations, trade-unions initiate projects that place energy efficiency at the core of human activities. This publication will question power struggles and negociations to point out multi-level incentives and actions for energy efficiency strategies to serve both mankind and its environment.