International Environmental Policy

As old methods have lost credibility, some governments, economists and international institutions like the UN Environment Programme have adopted a new approach, based on the view that nature is an “ecosystem service” provider. In doing so, they have shifted the onus of addressing environmental risk onto the private sector and market-based mechanisms.

Germany resolved to go down the path of its energy transition – the Energiewende. But it became clear very quickly at the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s two-day conference entitled “Energiewende – Think European!” in Berlin, there’s a lot of skepticism about and even deep-seated resentment toward Germany’s energy policies. Poles and the French, Czechs and Brits, in fact most of the EU27, are not on the same page as Germany.

Venezuela already overtook Saudia Arabia as the country with the largest oil reserves in the world and 2012 is likely to be a crucial year for the climate, as the country aims to ramp up production of huge reserves of tar sands-like crude in the eastern Orinoco River Belt. But economical exploitation comes with huge environmental concerns.

Lebanon is back on the world tourist map, and Beirut is currently traded as the "hottest city on the Mediterranean." The tourism industry is now one of the driving sectors of the country. But the growing tourism also has strong environmental impacts.

Argentina has been one of the first countries worldwide to build up a nuclear infrastructure since the 1950s. But after Fukushima, and in the context of possible financial restrictions in the coming years, the ambitious nuclear expansion plan presented by the government in 2010 of at least two more 700+ MW reactors seems less likely to be executed.

Since 1992 Uruguay has a law forbidding the use of nuclear power. Nevertheless the energy ministry of the government worked on an energy plan for the next 25 years focused on a great increase in renewables, sustainable biofuels and energy efficiency, which would make a nuclear power plant obsolete.

In quake- and tsunami-striken Chile, things have turned different since March 12th. After Fukushima 86 percent of Chileans are against nuclear power and even 60 percent would not accept it “under any circumstances”. But the mega hydro projects are also controversial.

In 2010 the Government of Thailand adopted the Power Development Plan. It provides the construction of five nuclear power plants. But the nuclear disaster in Japan has opened up the discussion about the nuclear future of Thailand again.

On  February 5th an explosion on the Sinai Peninsula damaged a gas pipeline to Jordan. The consequences are far-reaching: Supply of natural gas from Egypt was suspended, which Jordan relies on for about 80 per cent of its electricity generation needs. Heinrich Böll Stiftung asked energy consultant Dr. Malek Kabariti about the implications of the latest developments.

Renewables in the electricity sector are often built in regional cooperations. The Example of the Baltic Sea Region shows, that there is a clear potential for an energy system built on 100 percent renewable production.