UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) - NYC 2019 Change the World Model United Nations - CWMUN

Change the World
Model United Nations
     NYC 2019

                UN Commission
       on Sustainable Development (CSD)

  1.   Renewable energy as a mean of sustainable development

Welcome letter

Dear delegates,

We are very pleased to welcome you to the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
in the framework of the Change the World Model of United Nations, CWMUN 2019. We
deeply appreciate your preference for this committee.
The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development serves as the precedent of one
of the most important issues on the international agenda nowadays: the Sustainable
Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda. In a world full of poverty, inequality and lack of
natural sources, it has become a priority to find a way to reach our goals and satisfy our needs
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In this sense,
we all need to assume ourselves as a key actor, together with governments, organizations,
enterprises and civil society, in order to achieve well-being for every single world’s citizen.
During these three days of debate, we expect from you the greatest academic and protocol
preparation; but most of all, the compromise to cooperate in order to achieve effective
resolutions. Along the past months, we have strongly prepared to grant you the best
experience, hoping not only that you elaborate a resolutive document using your negotiation
skills but also that you become more conscious about this problematic that afflicts people
every day. Have for sure that as your chair, we will provide you of all the necessary support
and we will ensure that each voice and each idea is heard. Don’t hesitate to approach us in
case of any doubt.

Sincerely,

Aruzhan Mede, Chairman
Mariana Puga Salas, Rapporteur

Introduction to the Committee

History

The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created by the UN
General Assembly in December 1992, as one of the three bodies established to ensure an
effective global follow-up to the UN Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 1992. The
Commission was responsible for the implementation of the Agenda 21, a strategy for global
action on sustainable development; as well as the Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development, which outlines the rights and responsibilities of Governments in this area1.
However, the Commission was replaced in 2013 by the High-level Political Forum on
Sustainable Development, due to the emergence of a new paradigm around sustainable
development: the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Objectives and faculties

The role of the Commission as a high-level forum includes2:

       1. To review progress at the international, regional and national levels in the
          implementation of recommendations and commitments contained in the Agenda 21
          and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development3.
       2. To elaborate policy guidance and options for future activities to follow up the
          Johannesburg Plan of Implementation and achieve sustainable development.
       3. To promote dialogue and build partnerships with governments, the international
          community and the major groups identified in Agenda 21 as key actors4.

Members and structure

As a functional commission of ECOSOC, the Commission had 53 Member States. Now the
body hosts two different types of meetings:
   ● Under the auspices of the General Assembly: Once every four years at the level of
       Heads of State and Government for a period of two days.

1
    Sustainable Development Goals Knowledge Platform, About the CSD, n.p.
2
    Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform, Commission on Sustainable Development, n.p.
3
 Since 2013, it is also in charge for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable
Development Goals.
4
  These Major Groups include women, youth, indigenous peoples, non-governmental organizations, local authorities, workers and trade
unions, business and industry, the scientific community and farmers.

●    Under the auspices of the ECOSOC: Yearly, for a period of eight days, including a
        three-day ministerial segment.

   I.      Renewable energy as a mean of sustainable development

Introduction

Together with the rapid growth of the world population, the limited ability to supply of non-
renewable leads to energy demand on a rise especially in developing countries. This situation
results in the risk of depletion of cheap fossil energy and environmental pollution as well as
climate change. According to Loir, there will probably be sufficient oil and gas for this
century, and coal for 2 or more. Or Edwin Cartlidge reports “the annual total consumption of
energy sources by the world population is about 1.4×1017 kWh, of which the proportion of
the fossil energy has accounted for 90% of the energy sources used”. Therefore, researchers
around the world have been constantly trying to find solutions to diversify energy sources
and reduce harmful emissions and greenhouse emissions into the environment and renewable
energy sources have taken the spotlight.

Statement of the issue

For thousands of years people have relied on burning fossil fuels to generate energy, but in
today’s world using oil, gas and coal for certain types of energy needs is becoming a vital
problem. Climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges that the Earth have
ever faced, and the main cause behind it is mainly a dependence on fossil fuels. Burning coal,
petroleum and other fossil fuels is the primary means by which humanity produces electricity,
but it also leads to heavy concentrations of pollutants in air and water. Another problem with
using fossil fuels to generate energy is that there is not a limitless amount available. For the
past couple of centuries, we have come to rely more and more on the world’s supply of fossil
fuels, and that supply is fast running out. As the demand for fossil fuels has increased, the
cost of using them has also increased and each year we find ourselves with larger and larger
energy bills.

History

The sun is by far the oldest source of energy. It has provided heat and light for millions of
years and is directly responsible for sustaining all life on earth. Energy, in almost all its forms,
starts with the sun. For example, wind is created by temperature changes caused by the sun.
Plants and trees, which provide energy in numerous ways, gain their nourishment from the
sun. Streams and rivers, providing energy by the force of their downhill flow, are formed
from rain and snow. Rain and snow fall at high elevations after being evaporated from lakes
and oceans by the sun. The variety of life-forms depending on the sun's energy in one manner
or another is impressive.
Although the sun provides vast quantities of energy in many forms, humans could not control
it, and so they began to explore other sources of energy. For example, humans discovered a
way to generate their own energy from wood, somewhere between five hundred thousand
and seven hundred thousand years ago, by most scientists' estimates. At first, wood was
burned for warmth, light, and for preparing food. Then the heat from fire began to be used to
change the form of some materials to make them more useful, such as clay into pots or bricks,
and certain types of metal, such as copper, bronze, and iron, into tools.
As the human population increased over time, so did humanity's dependence on fire. This
increase in population led to severe shortages of wood in some areas of the world. By the
sixteenth century, for instance, Great Britain had so few trees left because of overcutting that
the British people had to switch to a completely new source of fuel. In place of trees, they
began to use coal. Coal, oil, and gas are called fossil fuels because they are extracted from
fossilized plant and animal material from deep under the ground.
Although coal had been used in different parts of the world since the second millennium B .
C ., its potential uses had not been fully explored. Once coal began to replace wood as a fuel,
inventors found many ways that coal could be used as a source of energy. This time of
exploration and invention started a period in history called the Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution marked a big change for people of the world. Many of the
agricultural societies that used human muscle power and animals to do work quickly became
industrialized and began using machines to do work. When the coal-burning steam engine
was invented, a race was begun to see who could create and build bigger, better, and faster
machines. The machines were used to provide transportation and to do the work formerly
done by people and animals. Coal continued to be used in great quantities until the twentieth
century. Then came the invention of the internal combustion engine and the automobile,
which used oil and gas instead of coal. Over the years, automobiles were modified to use oil
and gas more efficiently and with less pollution, but the sheer numbers of automobiles that
have come into use over the years have offset the potentially positive impact of these changes.
Oil and gas also came into use in other areas, such as for manufacturing and power
production, and remain in high use today.

International action

Understanding the importance of renewable energy as a mean of sustainable development,
international organizations have currently developed the following programs, which have as
an objective the achievement of cleaner, greener and renewable energy in all regions as an
effective alternative to fossil fuels:
     ● United Nations (UN)
In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include a dedicated and stand-alone
goal on energy, SDG 7, calling to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all". At High-Level Political Forum 2018, SDG 7 was in-depth reviewed
under the overall theme "Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies"5.
     ● Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL)
It is an international organization working with leaders in government, the private sector and
civil society to drive further, faster action toward achievement of Sustainable Development
Goal 7, which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, and the Paris Climate
Agreement, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate warming to
below 2 degrees Celsius6. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched SEforALL
in September 2011 as a global initiative that would mobilize action in support of SDG 7.
     ● United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
UNDP Strategic Plan (2018-2021) includes a focus on the main targets of SDG 7, through
the work with countries to make energy systems and usage more efficient and to increase the
global share of renewable energy.
     ● International Energy Agency (IEA)
This organization launched the IEAs Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS), which serves
as a complete study that outlines a major transformation of the global energy system, showing
how the world can change course to deliver renewable energy.
     ● International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
With 159 Members, IRENA is an intergovernmental organization that supports countries in
their transition to a sustainable energy future, and serves as one of the principal platforms for
international cooperation in this matter. Its work include annual reviews of renewable energy
employment; renewable energy capacity statistics and renewable energy cost studies7.

Bloc positions

Even though renewable energy has become a priority for the entire international community,
it is possible to appreciate that each country or region has a different reality regarding energy
generation, research and financing, as described below.

       ● Latin American and the Caribbean

5
    Sustainable Development Goals Knowledge Platform, Energy for Sustainable Development, n.p.
6
    Sustainable Energy for All, About Us, n. p.
7
    International Renewable Energy Agency, About IRENA, n.p .

In response to the threats of climate change, Latin America is taking important actions to
invest in renewable energy projects and adopting new energy policies to mitigate climate
change impacts. As one of the most vulnerable regions in this matter, many Latin American
countries showed their desire for a greener world at the recent United Nations Climate
Change Conference (COP23), developing strategic plans to increase the deployment of
renewable energy and reduce greenhouse emissions. Many Latin American countries like
Uruguay, Costa Rica, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico are increasing the deployment of
solar and wind energy supporting the reduction of global emissions of carbon dioxide8.
    ● Europe
As the cradle of the Industrial Revolution and therefore, as one of the most affected regions
by the exploitation of coal, oil and gas, Europe has positioned itself as a leading region in the
generation and development of renewable energy. For more than two decades, the European
Union (EU) has been at the forefront of global renewable energy deployment. The adoption
of long-term targets and supporting policy measures has resulted in strong growth in
renewable energy consumption across the region, from a 9% share in 2005 to 16.7% in 2015.
Currently, the EU is on track to meet its 20% target established for 2020. Also for the crucial
2020–2030 period, the European Commission tabled the “Clean Energy for All Europeans”
package in November 20169.
    ● Central Asia
According to the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, more than half of the world’s crude oil
and more than a third of its natural gas reserves come from the Middle Eastern Countries.
For the past fifty years, this region gained enormous significance as a global producer and
exporter of energy. Nonetheless, it is important to note that despite the abundance of
conventional energy resources in this region, renewable energy – most importantly solar
power, with its particular regional climatic advantage – could play a significant role as a cost-
competitive alternative to conventional fossil fuels10, considering that countries are actually
facing a growing domestic energy demand due to economic and population growth.
    ● Asia-Pacific
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Asia and the Pacific
accounts for more than half of global energy consumption, with 85% of that regional
consumption coming from fossil fuels. Many governments in the region have favorable
regulatory/legal frameworks for renewables, with significant capacity targets. Japan has a
target to develop 100 GW of solar and 40 GW of wind generation capacity by 2030. The
Philippines is setting a minimum threshold of power generated from renewables as a
percentage of total power generated by companies. China has already surpassed its 2020 solar
panel target, and is expected to exceed its wind target in 2019. However, others have
restrictions on foreign investments, no clear policy for renewable developments, a lengthy
procurement process, and a lack of financial and operational incentives for renewables.
During the Second Asian and Pacific Energy Forum, countries adopted a ministerial
declaration, which lays out a series of actions to encourage the sustainable use of energy,

8
    Renewable Energy World, Latin America, A New Leader in Renewable Energy, n.p
9
    International Renewable Energy Agency, Renewable Energy Prospects for the European Union, p. 15.
10
     The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, A Roadmap for Renewable Energy in the Middle East and North Africa, n.p.

including through greater regional cooperation to facilitate cross-border infrastructure and
energy trade to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
    ● Africa
With more than 640 million people in Africa with no access to energy and investors looking
for cheaper and reliable sources of power, there is no doubt that renewable energy is the
future for Africa11. In this sense, the continent has assumed this position in both regional and
international forums, highlighting its vulnerable position to the effects of climate change.
Currently, countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia
have taken initiatives in the development of renewable and clean energy projects, particularly
solar and gas to power. Also, the Africa Renewable Energy Fund (AREF) invests into small
hydro, wind, geothermal, solar, stranded gas and biomass projects across Sub-Saharan
Africa, excluding South Africa.

Following projects are brand new inventions of certain countries in their way to renewable
energy. Those tools and technologies were described as the most innovative, therefore must
be mentioned here.

    ● The TuNur project- 4,000 MW solar – Tunisia
TuNur is a solar power project in Tunisia aiming to exploit the country’s competitive
advantage in solar radiation and available space in order to power Europe. Located in a newly
established solar complex in Southwest Tunisia, the project will use the Concentrated Solar
Power (CSP) technology deploying parabolic mirrors connected to molten salt energy storage
in a surface of more than 5,000 hectares- an area almost 3 times the size of Manhattan.

    ● Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) – 6,000 MW solar/wind – Australia
An international consortium of energy companies has recently presented its plans to export
colossal amounts of solar and wind energy from Western Australia to Southeast Asia via
Indonesia and Singapore.
he hybrid power plant would be spread over 14,000 square km in flat desert land on the
Northwest coast of Australia. It would comprise approximately 1,200 wind turbines supplied
by Vestas, and 10 million solar panels with an aggregated capacity of 6,000 megawatts
(MW). 4,000 MW would be supplied by wind energy, and 2,000MW from solar. It is
estimated that this amount of power will be enough to supply electricity to more than 7
million households.

    ● Gansu Wind Farm Project- 10,000 MW wind – China
The Jiuquan Wind Power Base, also called Gansu Wind Farm Project, was approved by the
Chinese Government in 2008 and epitomised China’s ambition to become a global leader in
renewable energy. It comprises a series of large wind farms- either in operation, under
construction or planned, located in the western Gansu province in China.

11
     Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme, African Renewable Energy Fund (AREF), n.p.

Possible solutions

1. Increase partnerships to increase renewable energy (onwards RE) communications
campaign funding. Currently, the lack of funding resources represents a significant barrier to
effective communications strategies.
2. Thorough pre-campaign research aids in better understanding the public’s opinion on RE.
This helps segment and define the audience allowing the creation of specific, targeted
communications messages.
3. RE campaign strategies should be developed in stages to maximize effectiveness and
impact.
4. Behavioral economics should be taken into consideration when developing RE
communications strategies. The goal is to influence attitudes, raise awareness, and change
behaviors toward RE.
5. For quality control, ongoing and post-campaign evaluation should be consistently applied
at all stages of the RE communications process. The results can be used for future campaigns.
6. Proactive communication strategies are key when responding to negative media coverage
about RE. Increased communication with the media helps avoid misrepresentation of the
facts.

Conclusions

For many years, the international community followed an energy paradigm based on fossil
fuels. However, this form of energy generation is becoming more obsolete every day, due to
its economic and environmental costs. Proof of this is the proliferation of programs,
organizations and specific actions that seek to favor international cooperation to achieve
clean and renewable energies. The willingness and desire for cooperation is evident in all
countries, however, it is necessary to consider that:
    ● Renewable energy as a means of sustainable development is a multifactorial issue,
        which includes climate change, economy (costs and production processes) and the
        human factor, that is, affordable and equitable access for each person. If these three
        factors are combined, sustainable societies will be achieved.
    ● The accomplishment of the goals already described is not an exclusive task of the
        governments, it is necessary to establish a dialogue with other involved actors such
        as civil society, private sector and companies.
    ● It is necessary the existence of public policies that promote financing, research and
        development of renewable energies, so that the impact and viability of their
        implementation is measured according to the reality of each country. Regulatory and
        legal frameworks are the key factor.
    ● Investment, integration among countries and exchange of information and good
        practices can help everyone to have clean and sustainable energy regardless of their
        economic capacity.

Guiding questions

   ● Has your country taken action in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals?
     Which one(s)?
   ● Does your country have a public policy regarding Sustainable Development and
     Renewable Energy?
   ● Which is your country’s main source of energy?
   ● What’s the impact of energy on your country’s economy and development rate?
   ● Do these sources of energy contribute to pollution and climate change? What does
     your country do in order to mitigate these effects?
   ● What does your country do to ensure equitable access to energy?
   ● What does your country do to achieve cleaner, greener and renewable sources of
     energy?

Recommended readings

   ● Trackind SDG7, The Energy Progress Report: https://trackingsdg7.esmap.org//
   ● International   Renewable       Energy    Agency      Anual     Report     2018:
     https://www.irena.org/publications/2018/May/Renewable-Energy-and-Jobs-Annual-
     Review-2018

Bibliography

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