A Global Assessment on Sustainable Energy for All

This position paper, submitted to UNCSD2012 by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development (FBDS), outlines a global assessment on sustainable energy for all. It argues that energy access must evolve from basic poverty alleviation to supporting productive economic development while remaining within the 'safe operating space' of planetary boundaries to avoid catastrophic environmental disruption.

• Humanity faces a 'triple global energy challenge' consisting of the need for affordable energy services for all (including productive activities), the rapid phase-out of fossil fuels to stabilize the climate, and the requirement to operate within Earth systems boundaries such as freshwater use, land use, and biodiversity.
• Current global energy access is insufficient, with approximately 3 billion people lacking basic energy services. Specifically, 2.7 billion people rely on traditional biomass for heating and cooking, and 1.3 billion lack electricity access, with another billion relying on unreliable networks.
• The assessment proposes a 'new model' scenario where global GDP per capita converges by 2050, ensuring all countries reach at least the level of current middle-income countries (approximately 20,000 USD per capita). This model estimates annual GDP per capita growth trajectories of 0.5-1% for the US and EU, 4-5% for emerging powers like China, and 7-8% for less developed countries.
• To meet a 2-degree climate target, global emissions must be reduced by 50-60% between 2000 and 2050. This requires the EU and US to reduce emissions by 75-90% compared to 2000 levels by 2050, while countries in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa may increase emissions for a few decades before bending the curve before 2050.
• The document recommends four strategic principles for nations: accelerating policies for efficiency and renewables (such as feed-in tariffs and removing fossil fuel subsidies), creating a transparent global investment fund for renewable energy in poor and emerging economies, developing policy frameworks based on planetary boundaries, and using sustainable energy measures as a 'currency' for measuring development progress.
• Different energy systems impact various planetary boundaries: fossil fuels affect climate change, ozone depletion, aerosol loading, and chemical pollution; hydropower affects freshwater use, biodiversity loss, and land use change; nuclear power affects chemical pollution and biodiversity; and biomass-based renewables impact land use, freshwater, nitrogen/phosphorus cycles, biodiversity, aerosol loading, and climate change.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). A Global Assessment on Sustainable Energy for All. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PositionPaper-FBDS-AGlobalAssessmentOnSustainableEnergyForAll-2011.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. A Global Assessment on Sustainable Energy for All. n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PositionPaper-FBDS-AGlobalAssessmentOnSustainableEnergyForAll-2011.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=A Global Assessment on Sustainable Energy for All |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PositionPaper-FBDS-AGlobalAssessmentOnSustainableEnergyForAll-2011.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendglobal, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{A Global Assessment on Sustainable Energy for All}}, publisher = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-PositionPaper-FBDS-AGlobalAssessmentOnSustainableEnergyForAll-2011.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }