Denmark
Mitigation of global warming and transitioning to a green and sustainable world are counteracted by a number of barriers and dilemmas. The paper analyzes a number of these barriers and dilemmas in order to highlight efficient strategies and solutions for a sustainable development. The dilemmas include the following examples: • There are limits to economic and material growth in a finite globe, but most governments in industrial countries are calling for more growth in a period of financial crisis. • More equity is required to stem the desire for growth, but inequity is increasing. • The increase in global temperature should stay below two degrees centigrade in order to avoid irreversible consequences, but the present path points to four degrees or more. • At least 50% of known reserves of fossil fuels must remain underground in order to avoid a temperature increase higher than two degrees, but a number of industrial countries are now promoting exploitation of new fossil sources like shale gas and oil from tar sand. • Reversing population growth facilitates sustainable development, but most governments of industrial nations appear to be more concerned about decreases in their population.
sustainable energy, policy means, green transition.
1. Introduction
The world is presently faced with a number of serious problems including global warming and climate change, limits to economic and material growth, increasing inequities, misleading economic models and theories, and financial crises. Most national governments in the Organisation For Economic Co-Operation And Development (OECD) attempt to maintain traditional growth rates based on neoliberal principles. However, they do not appear to realize that a sustainable future requires radical changes in political, economic and institutional systems on international and national levels.
In relation to the problem of global warming, it has not been possible to date to obtain international commitments for binding reductions of CO2 emissions. However, there seems to be international consensus concerning the danger of irreversible consequences if the increase in global temperature is allowed to surpass two degrees centigrade. Recent analyses have concluded that in order to avoid this transition at least 50 % of known fossil reserves should remain untapped underground [IEA, 2012]. It is not obvious how this condition would be implemented in practice. Moreover, with the recent exploitation of non-traditional energy sources like shale gas and shale oil, the goal of limited use appears to be even more problematic. This issue should be high on the agenda of the united nations (UN), but so far it is not the case.
This paper will focus on the role of the rich industrial countries, as they are responsible for most of the present problems. In addition, such countries have the necessary economic and technological power to implement a green transition to a world that is not dependent on fossil fuels.
However, it should not be overlooked that there are a number of barriers for this transition. Strong financial power is connected to vested interests in production of fossil fuels, while concern about sustainable development is relegated as a low priority on the money-based agenda. Here, significant changes are needed to yield less power to the market and private vested interests. The paper includes concrete proposals for such changes.
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