Regional Energy OutlookAustralia, USA, Canada & New Zealand

Sarah Holdsworth, Education for Sustainability, RMIT University, Australia

Thomas Eatmon, Public PolicySouthern University, USA

Energy Production in 2003

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

UCAN OECD World

Mto

e

• UCAN makes up 5% of the world’s population• Produces and consumes approx 20% of the world’s energy

Source: International Energy Agency [IEA], 2003)

UCAN current energy situation

Country USA Canada Australia New Zealand

Electricity use per capita (KWh/ capita)

13 066 17 290 10 642 8 830

Source: International Energy Agency [IEA], 2003)

UCAN current energy situation

Energy consumption in 2003 by energy source for all UCAN region countries

Source: International Energy Agency [IEA], 2006)

UCAN current energy situation

Energy development relationship

Energy Services Lifestyle Choices

Development/Standard of living

GDP is used to measure standard of living in an economy.

Key societal and environmental problems can be masked when the GDP is used as the sole

measure of economic growth

gross national product

social welfare and quality of life

Growing GNP / drop of life quality

time scale

OECD Study in progress 2003

Energy development relationship

Development?

Country GDP per capita in $US (Rank), 2003

Gini Index Happy Planet Index ranking

Australia 29,632 (10) 35.2 139

Canada 30,677 (6) 33.1 111

United States 37,562 (4) 40.8 150

New Zealand 22,582 (3) 36 94

Development and Politics

Development and the shifting political ideological

Government Economy Society Neo-liberalism Individual

Government Society Economy

Egalitarianism

Collective

Future Trends

Source: http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ieo/world.html

World Marketed Energy Use by Fuel Type 1980-2030 (EIA, 2003)

• UCAN’s population is predicted to stabilise however, energy consumption will continue to increase

•Heavy reliance on imported energy resources (oil) will lead to issues of supply security

Development Continuum

Development

GrowthConsumption

ENERGY

Consumption: Putting priorities

into perspective

% ww private consumption

% worlds population

USA and Canada 31.5% 5.2%

Australia and New Zealand

1.5% 0.4%

World Watch Institute 2003

Basic education for all ($6 billion) vs.Cosmetics in the U.S. ($8 billion)

Basic health and nutrition ($13 billion) vs.Pet foods in Europe and USA ($17 billion)

Reproductive health for all women ($12 billion) vs. Perfumes in Europe and the USA ($12 billion)source: Human Development Report 1998, “Consumption for human development” [www.undp.org/hdro/1998/98]

Do we need to consume to develop?Human Development Index is based on:• Life expectancy• Literacy• GDP

What is the future outlook?• Social

- Level and access to health care- Level and access to education

• Political- Continued dependency on Oil and Coal - Global security issues- Investments in Renewable but proportionably low compared with non-renewable

• Environmental - Increasing ecological footprint- Increasing CO2 into atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels.

• Economic- Energy needs vs. availability- Reliance on imports of fossil fuels- Instability of economy

What should be the future outlook?

The region needs to address two areas with respect to energy and development

-Maintain current standard of living and energy services that support this while reducing negative impacts

-Address the existing inequalities in regard to accessing social services

that enhance quality of life

Neo-liberal Policy Barriers

• Market force expansion

• Open competition • Enhanced mass

production• Anti-poverty

program reduction• Foreign

investment• Consumption

maximization• Trade liberalization

Expands industrialization

•Increases pollution and natural resource demand

Globalizes consumption

•Diffuses consumerism and encourages excessive consumption

Increases number of poor

•Development without added value

(Haque, 1999)

Our Vision for the Future

Equity & Human Well

Being

Economy, Technology, Politics & Ethics or “Intermediate

Means”

Natural Environment or “Ultimate Means”

Intermediate Means

•Government

•Civil Society

•Industry and Financial Institutions

•Individuals

(Daly, 1980)

Daly’s Triangle

Intermediate Means

Government • Participation in international institutions

-Ex. Lack of commitment to Kyoto Protocol by US and Australia

• Redistributive taxes and incentives (carrot and stick) -Ex. Taxing inefficient vehicles to provide incentives (price cuts) for more efficient vehicles

Civil Society• Change the culture of consumerism and public

consciousness through political socialization, knowledge dissemination, watchdog actions, and creating sustainability initiatives. -Ex. Sustainable Schools Program -Ex. Bill Clinton’s Global Initiative

Intermediate Means

Industry and Financial Institutions• Corporate Responsibility and Ethics

– Ex. Goldman Sachs, Interface, FIFA, Dupont, Ford

Individuals• Street level decision-making

– Voting– Conscious consumption– Active participation in government and civil society

(collective action)– Leadership

References

Daly, H., “Introduction to the Steady-State Economy,” pp. 1-31 in Daly, H., (ed.) “Economics, Ecology, Ethics-Essays Toward a Steady State Economy,” New York: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1980.

The Happy Planet Index, New Economics Foundation, 2006

Haque, M. S., “The Fate of Sustainable Development under Neo-Liberal Regimes in Developing Countries,” International Political Science Review, 20,2, pp.197-218, 1999

International Energy Agency (IEA), website: www.iea.org

 Intenational Energy Agency World Energy Outlook. Website:http://www.iea.org/textbase/publications/free_new_Desc.asp?PUBS_ID=1458

Redefining Progess, website: www.RedefiningProgress.org

UNDP Human Development Report, 2005. http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2005/