Energy for sustainable development: a policy agenda

This paper discusses critical energy policies, illustrated with case studies, necessary to address multiple development objectives, including economic growth, equity and environmental protection.

Recommendations include:

• capacity development must be achieved through activities at the individual, institutional, and systemic level, over the long-term. The strategy will need to be multi-layered, addressing major stakeholder groups including those outside the ‘energy sector’ in order to address the capacity constraints and problems that impact energy outcomes
• policy objectives must aim specific attention, funding, and public policy are directed towards establishing the institutional and human capacities needed to create such an enabling environment
• capacity building needs, and the longer-term process of capacity development, must form an explicit part of any successful strategy to use energy as an instrument of sustainable development
• the public sector, both at national and local levels, is the key target and recipient of capacity development. Capacity development needs and activities must be addressed not only at the national or federal level, but must include local regulatory agencies, public sector institutions, and local stakeholders
• capacity development in central level agencies may serve to address the 202 Energy for Sustainable Development: A Policy Agenda overall macro-framework issues needed in the energy, credit, technology, and related sectors, but will not translate into effective action with sustainable outcomes at the local level unless specific attention is devoted to local capacity needs
• the emergence of a ‘capable state’ not only is central in discussions regarding governance and sustainable development, but should be a central objective with regards to the energy system as well
• capacity development in energy must be interdisciplinary, including economic, social, and environmental considerations linked to energy to support policy definition
• international funding and support should focus more on the institutions and stakeholders that bring about energy systems change and not merely on specific projects