Energy for a Shared Development Agenda: Global Scenarios and Governance Implications

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) discusses the challenges of providing sustainable energy access to the global poor while meeting climate goals. It presents three scenarios—Baseline, Basic Energy Access (BEA), and Shared Development Agenda (SDA)—to explore the energy systems required to enable long-term economic development. The document argues that market-based instruments alone are insufficient and calls for a transformative global governance framework, increased state-led investment in innovation, and the integration of energy targets into Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• The global energy challenge requires moving beyond providing basic energy access to developing systems that support long-term economic development. This involves strategies such as increasing efficiency, expanding low-carbon electricity, electrification, and the phase-out of fossil fuels.
• Energy production is a primary driver of environmental pressures, with energy-related emissions accounting for approximately 75% of the global total. Other pressures include the potential for hydropower and bioenergy to consume significant amounts of land and water resources.
• The Shared Development Agenda (SDA) scenario explores the energy implications of all countries reaching per capita income levels of at least USD 10,000 (in 2005 purchasing power parity rates) by 2050. This scenario requires energy intensity to decline by 2.8% annually, reaching 32% of its 2010 value by 2050.
• To meet the objectives of the Basic Energy Access (BEA) and SDA scenarios, conventional fossil fuel technologies for electricity generation must be virtually phased out before 2050, with CCS-based systems being the only remaining fossil technologies. Demand would be met through nuclear expansion and massive increases in renewable power, such as wind, solar, and geothermal.
• Current market-based instruments and policies are insufficient to achieve the necessary energy system transformations. The state must take a more active role in mobilizing investment capital and supporting innovation, particularly by helping new technologies overcome the "valley of death" through public RD&D.
• There is a significant gap in international governance for energy systems. A structural transformation of the global framework is needed to coordinate and share knowledge, and energy targets should be formally integrated into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

APA

M., N., C., H., Å., P., M., C., S., P., M., K., M., O., I., R., R., S., D., W., D., V. V., K., R., B., A., & Y., M. (2012). Energy for a Shared Development Agenda: Global Scenarios and Governance Implications. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Rethinking-development/SEI-PB-2012-Energy-for-All.pdf

Chicago

M., Nilsson, Heaps, C., Persson, Å., Carson, M., Pachauri, S., Kok, M., Olsson, M., et al. Energy for a Shared Development Agenda: Global Scenarios and Governance Implications. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2012. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Rethinking-development/SEI-PB-2012-Energy-for-All.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{m2012energy, author = {M., Nilsson and C., Heaps, and Å., Persson, and M., Carson, and S., Pachauri, and M., Kok, and M., Olsson, and I., Rehman, and R., Schaeffer, and D., Wood, and D., van Vuuren, and K., Riahi, and B., Americano, and Y., Mulugetta.}, title = {{Energy for a Shared Development Agenda: Global Scenarios and Governance Implications}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Rethinking-development/SEI-PB-2012-Energy-for-All.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }