Mapping Options for a Voluntary Peer Review of Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform within the G-20

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) explores options for establishing a voluntary peer-review process within the G-20 to advance the phase-out and rationalization of inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies. It analyzes the benefits of peer review as a 'soft law' tool, compares existing mechanisms in other international forums, and proposes specific structural options and reporting frameworks to balance mutual learning with accountability.

• The G-20 countries committed at the 2009 Pittsburgh Summit to phase out and rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies over the medium term, while ensuring targeted support for the poorest populations.
• Current G-20 reporting on fossil-fuel subsidy reform is hindered by a lack of standardized definitions and calculation methods for 'energy subsidies,' leading to inconsistent reporting among member states.
• Peer review is defined as a non-adversarial, systematic examination of one state's performance by other states to improve policy making and adopt best practices, functioning as a discussion among equals rather than a compliance or punishment mechanism.
• The effectiveness of peer reviews depends on balancing two often conflicting tensions: the need for power and accountability (especially to external audiences) and the need for learning, autonomy, and trust among peers.
• The G-20 is considered a suitable forum for peer review because it is relatively informal and homogeneous, consisting of the world's largest economies, which may facilitate the development of effective mutual assessment mechanisms.
• Three primary options for the G-20's voluntary peer-review process were considered: country-only reviews (groups of 2-4 countries), third-party reviews (experts from academia, think tanks, or international organizations), or a hybrid approach combining both.
• To improve the quality of peer reviews, the document suggests matching countries with similar economic circumstances, specifically distinguishing between net energy importers and net energy exporters such as Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Mexico, and Russia.
• A proposed peer-review process consists of four stages: collection of information, evaluation, assessment, and follow-up. The characteristics of these stages vary depending on whether the focus is on mutual learning (less formal) or accountability (more formal).
• The briefing recommends that peer reviews cover both the subsidies themselves and the efforts to reform them, allowing countries that claim to have no inefficient subsidies to still participate by sharing lessons from previous reforms.
• The document emphasizes that transparency and the public availability of reports are essential for G-20 accountability and for sharing reform lessons globally.

APA

Gerasimchuk, I. (2013). Mapping Options for a Voluntary Peer Review of Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform within the G-20. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/gsi/sites/default/files/ffs_g20_peer_review.pdf

Chicago

Gerasimchuk, Ivetta. Mapping Options for a Voluntary Peer Review of Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform within the G-20. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/gsi/sites/default/files/ffs_g20_peer_review.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gerasimchuk |first1=Ivetta |title=Mapping Options for a Voluntary Peer Review of Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform within the G-20 |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=July 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/gsi/sites/default/files/ffs_g20_peer_review.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gerasimchuk2013mapping, author = {Gerasimchuk, Ivetta}, title = {{Mapping Options for a Voluntary Peer Review of Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform within the G-20}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/gsi/sites/default/files/ffs_g20_peer_review.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }