Global Energy Institution Proposed
"A global energy organisation would complement, not replace, bodies already active in the energy field," writes Dr. Elbaradei. Photo: Downtown Shanghai, Nanjing Street, China, June 2004. (Credit: Petr Pavlicek/IAEA)
24 July 2008 | In a Financial Times open editorial published today, IAEA Director General Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei called for the institution of a global energy organization that would help tackle the crisis underway in the energy field.
Story Resources
- Tackling the Global Energy Crisis, OpEd, Financial Times
- IAEA Department of Nuclear Energy
- UN Energy
"The need for coordinated political action on energy and related issues - climate change and alleviating poverty, to name but two - has never been more acute. Yet there is no global energy institution in which the countries of the world can agree on joint solutions to the potentially enormous problems we see emerging," he wrote.
Amongst other things, the proposed organization could address a number of fundamental issues by fulfilling the following tasks:
- provide authoritative assessments of global energy demand and supply and bring under one roof key energy data that are now dispersed and incomplete;
- speed the transfer of appropriate energy technology to poor countries and give them objective advice on an optimal energy mix that is safe, secure and environmentally sound;
- develop a global mechanism to ensure energy supplies in crises and emergencies;
- help countries run their energy services and even do it for them temporarily after a war or major natural disaster; and
- coordinate and fund R&D, both upstream and downstream, especially for energy-poor countries, whose needs too often get overlooked by commercial R&D oriented to rich countries.
According to Dr. ElBaradei, such an organization would not be in conflict with existing institutions and bodies dealing with the energy issue in a fragmented, piecemeal fashion, but would provide a holistic, global approach to the problem.
"A global energy organization would complement, not replace, bodies already active in the energy field. It would bring a vital inter-governmental perspective to bear on issues which cannot be left to market forces alone, such as the development of new energy technology, the role of nuclear power and renewables, and innovative solutions for reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions," he wrote.
Note: Dr. ElBaradei´s article reflects his personal views and not necessarily those of the IAEA.
Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, IAEA Director General