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World energy future: the demand side challenge
Author(s) -
Skinner Robert G.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
natural resources forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1477-8947
pISSN - 0165-0203
DOI - 10.1111/j.1477-8947.1993.tb00175.x
Subject(s) - equity (law) , economics , natural resource economics , legislation , fossil fuel , demand side , demand reduction , energy demand , climate change , economic policy , public economics , business , environmental economics , political science , medicine , ecology , pathology , law , biology
Non‐OECD countries will account for the greatest share of growth in future energy demand. Policy‐makers, in response to public concern that the continued use of fossil‐fuels could bring about global climate change have sought out policies which will reduce future energy demand. However, economic instruments which can do so, such as carbon taxes, provoke significant distributional and equity issues. Most OECD governments have set CO 2 reduction targets, but few of those targets are backed up by effective legislation and programmes. Instead, most governments seem to count on increasing energy efficiency, seemingly ‘spontaneously’, to bring about CO 2 reductions. Realization of OECD CO 2 reduction targets would be insignificant on a global scale, but they are nevertheless very ambitious when compared to recent changes in the OECD's energy‐derived CO 2 emissions. Reliance on market forces alone may therefore not be enough.