GLOBAL ENERGY CHARTER


Adopted by the World Clean Energy Conference organized by the Energy Coalition for UNCED - Earth Summit '92 and co-sponsored by the International Progress Organization (Geneva, 4-7 November 1991)

The World Energy Coalition,

considering the crucial role which energy plays in worldwide economic and social development;

taking into account the necessity to increase energy services particularly in developing countries;

wishing to mitigate and prevent adverse local and global impacts of energy generation, transmission and use on human health and the environment, including all living species;

noting especially the climate implications of increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases – as established by UNEP, WMO / IPCC and WHO;

noting further the thrust of the INC's deliberations (A/AC.237/Misc 12);

proposes that the Global Energy Charter be adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in conjunction with the Earth Charter and Agenda 21;

proposes further that international negotiations begin with an International Climate and Energy Convention.

  • The Global Energy Charter has four main objectives:

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    a. To act as a framework for a world energy strategy aimed at concerted international, regional and national programs for harmonious and sustainable economic and social development to ensure the survival of living species;

    b. to urge governments to give rational use of energy, energy efficiency and renewable, clean, safe and sustainable energy technologies the highest priority in national, regional and international development and implementation programs on a scale comparable to the former US Man-to-the-Moon program;

    c. to promote a plan of action to ensure that the services which energy can supply are adequately available to all human beings to satisfy their development needs;

    d. to propose the establishment of an international energy organization, dedicated to the achievement of the Charter's objectives, through, amongst other measures, research, development and commercialization of relevant technologies, information exchange, training, consultancy, program monitoring and mobilization of adequate financial resources.

     

  • The Global Energy Charter for sustainable energy policies includes the following main points:

    1. The setting up of targets for energy related emission limits and performance standards for energy products and systems.

    2. The establishment of guidelines and internationally standardized methodologies of calculation for determining external effects and lifecycle costs for all energy systems, taking into account environmental, health and
    other damages caused by energy-related activities.

    3. The establishment of global, regional, national and local strategies and plans for energy efficiency improvements, safety controls, waste management and emissions reductions in the production, storage, transportation and use of all types of energy.

    4. The establishment of global, regional, national and local programmes for the substitution of polluting and exhaustible energy sources by environmentally less harmful, sustainable energy technologies.

    5. Based on guidelines under point 2, the introduction of a system of full cost pricing coupled with a system for compensation of external damages from all energy-related activities, not forgetting waste disposal and decommissioning, to reflect the total social and environmental cost.

    6. The creation of dedicated energy funds, one to be called the Climate and Energy Fund, allocated from external cost levies and other sources, for the financing of energy efficiency improvements and best available environmentally sound energy technologies, with special arrangements for countries which would not otherwise be able to introduce such measures.

    7. The promotion and monitoring of strategies and implementation programs under the Global Energy Charter and the development of new financial instruments and investment mechanisms, involving both the public and private sectors in synergy with each other.

    8. The promotion of exchange of technology, know-how, education, training programs, information, statistics and data on best available environmentally sound energy technologies, environment-conscious human behaviour, energy efficiency and energy saving, performance standards, safety codes as well as relative and absolute energy cost.

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