Sectoral Approaches in Electricity
Building Bridges to a Safe Climate
Electricity accounts for more than 40 % of global energy-related CO2 emissions. This
issue is most pressing for developing countries where growth in power demand is particularly
high, fueling the risk of irreversible investment in CO2-intensive capacity, the so-called
“carbon lock-in”.
Sectoral Approaches in Electricity
– Building Bridges to a Safe Climate shows how the international climate policy framework
could effectively support a transition towards low-CO2 electricity systems in developing
countries. Sectoral approaches are intended to address sectors that require urgent
actions, without waiting for countries to take nation-wide commitments.
Earlier IEA publications have extensively reviewed developed countries’ efforts to
steer generation away from carbon-intensive production modes, from dedicated support
to low-carbon technologies to, increasingly, the reliance on CO2 pricing via emissions
trading. Following the same logic, there are proposals seeking to use the international
carbon market to drive changes at sectoral level in developing countries. This publication
illustrates the pros and cons of such an approach in a few key emerging economies.
It also asks how international climate policy could support and enhance ongoing efforts
on end-use energy efficiency - an essential piece of the climate change/electricity
puzzle.
Published on September 14, 2009