Poll

Energy and Climate Change Program

Worldwatch Institute's Energy and Climate Change Program is dedicated to achieving a transformation of the global energy system in order to stabilize the climate and increase energy security.

Strong scientific evidence indicates that global greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2015 and then decline precipitously to avoid catastrophic climate change. Worldwatch's Energy and Climate Change Program aims to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon energy system based on sustainable use of renewable energy sources in concert with major energy-efficiency gains. Although many argue that such a transition will be expensive and difficult, Worldwatch research shows that it would create vast economic opportunities, spur innovation and job creation, and assist efforts to reduce poverty while providing a more resilient and sustainable global energy system.

Achieving the needed energy transformation will require:

Profound changes in government policies
Strengthened global governance in the form of a new international climate agreement
Mobilization of the private sector to develop and deploy new technologies

As the world progresses toward agreement on—and implementation of—a new climate agreement in late 2009 and beyond, Worldwatch works to inform decision makers about the potential for a low-carbon future and to develop and communicate policies and strategies that can best achieve that goal. The program's particular focus is on Brazil, China, Europe, India, and the United States, which together account for 60 percent of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.

Staff

Christopher Flavin, President (building a low-carbon economy, peak oil, general climate change)

Alexander Ochs, Director, Climate and Energy Program (international climate negotiations; opportunities of a third industrial revolution; domestic climate and energy policies of the United States and Europe as well as China and India; global governance and U.N. reform; environmental security issues)

Janet L. Sawin, Senior Researcher (renewable energy and climate change mitigation, renewables policy and global trends, general climate change)

Yingling Liu, China Program Manager (China energy and climate issues)

Alice McKeown, Vital Signs Online Director and Research Associate (biofuels, coal, general climate change)

Amanda Chiu, Project Associate

John Mulrow, MAP Sustainable Energy Fellow, 2009–10

Major Projects

Dateline: Copenhagen

Scientist warn that the window of opportunity to reverse the rise in greenhouse gas emissions and avoid catastrophic climate change is closing rapidly. All eyes are now on negotiations for the next major climate agreement, set to be finalized at COP-15 (the 15th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention) in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December. Dateline: Copenhagen is a resource for tracking the major developments that are shaping these critical negotiations.

Renewable Energy Policy and Climate Change Mitigation

Worldwatch is participating in the research, analysis, and production of the IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy and Climate Change Mitigation, to be released in December 2010. Senior Researcher Janet Sawin is serving as lead author of the policy, financing, and implementation chapter. In collaboration with other IPCC authors, the Institute also plans to release a short report prior to the Copenhagen negotiations that will examine the immediate and longer-term potential of renewable energy, in concert with energy efficiency, to mitigate climate change. The report will provide specific and relevant policy recommendations to encourage negotiators and other policymakers to make the strongest emissions reductions commitments possible at Copenhagen and beyond.

Into a Warming World

State of the World 2009: Into a Warming World is a compendium of the coming century of climate change and the science and policies that will determine our future. Nearly 50 authors from developing and industrialized countries contributed to this unprecedented report, which seeks to inject new inspiration and energy into national and international climate negotiations. Released in January 2009, the report aims to convey the profound, long-term consequences of the experiment we are now conducting on the Earth's atmosphere. It examines the policy changes needed to combat climate change and explores the economic benefits that could flow from the transition, including the potential to create new industries and jobs in rich and poor countries alike.

China Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Status Report

Worldwatch is working with energy research institutes affiliated with the Chinese government, non-governmental organizations that have extensive academic and independent expertise on China's energy situation, and industry associations in the energy sector to conduct a comprehensive review of the current status of energy efficiency and renewable energy in China. By putting forth the best available analysis of China's current situation, we hope to lay the framework for constructive policy recommendations to help Chinese decision makers address domestic energy and environmental challenges and to enable other nations, both developing and industrialized, to learn from China's extensive experience in promoting clean energy options.

Focus: India

Worldwatch has long recognized India as an environmental giant that is critical to tackling the global climate crisis. As India's burgeoning environmental movement continues to grow, all eyes are on a country that boasts one-sixth of the global population and remains the fourth largest aggregate emitter of greenhouse gases. From Trivandrum to Kolkata, Worldwatch is tracking and communicating key developments in India while engaging with the leaders of tomorrow and providing today's decision makers with the information they need. To learn about key climate-related developments in India, click here.

Agriculture and Climate Change

For information on Worldwatch's work on agriculture, land use and climate change, see our Sustainable Agriculture Program page.

Partners

The Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP)

The Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) is an active, global partnership that works to reduce the barriers within policy, regulatory and financial structures that bar and limit the uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and projects. Backed by national governments, businesses, development banks and NGOs, REEEP is uniquely placed to contribute to international, national and regional policy dialogues.

Recent Publications

Red, White, and Green: Transforming U.S. Biofuels

Mitigating Climate Change Through Food and Land Use

State of the World 2009: Into a Warming World

REN21 Renewables Global Status Report 2009

Smart Choices for Biofuels, a Sierra Club/Worldwatch report

Low-Carbon Energy: A Roadmap

"Building a Low-Carbon Economy," Chapter 6 in State of the World 2008: Innovations for a Sustainable Global Economy

Powering China's Development: The Role of Renewable Energy

Biofuels for Transport: Global Potential and Implications for Sustainable Agriculture and Energy in the 21st Century

American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security

More Energy Resources

Climate and Energy Magazine Articles

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