Affordable and Clean Energy

If there is to be a significant role for gas as a transition fuel, let alone as a destination fuel, governments and international institutions in the UNECE region will have to develop strategies that encourage the use of gas in the near- and medium-term while providing for a subsequent orderly transition towards a vastly increased use of renewables. Overall, renewables can be expected to provide low-cost electricity in much of the UNECE region and will be the prime beneficiary of the phasing out of coal by individual UNECE member States. Renewables will be favoured both by investors seeking to profit from the market and by governments and politicians seeking to benefit from the provision of low-cost energy to the public whilst limiting the burden on public finances. There will continue to be significant geographical differences. Gas demand in the European Union is expected to contract significantly in the next 20 years but gas will remain the dominant energy source for domestic supply in Russia and Central Asia. Modelling carried out for UNECE shows that a policy stance based on a Pathway to 2°C results in a radically different energy mix to a ‘business as usual’ scenario. In particular, it challenges the conventional wisdom that gas is needed as a transition fuel to decarbonize the economy. More powerful arguments for the use of gas are its role in the provision of both energy security and quality of life. Decarbonization and energy sustainability remain key objectives in the current energy transition. But they are not identical and it is far from clear how efforts to achieve decarbonization and to secure energy sustainability will affect each other.

The International Recommendations for Energy Statistics (IRES) have been prepared by the United Nations Statistics Division in close cooperation with countries and other international/regional organizations and adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission in February 2011. IRES was developed to assist countries in the establishment and strengthening of their energy statistical programmes. In particular, IRES provides data compilers with a complete set of recommendations covering all aspects of the statistical production process from basic concepts, definitions, classifications and measurement units to data sources, institutional and legal framework, data compilation strategies, energy balances, data quality and statistical dissemination. It also contains the Standard International Energy Product Classification (SIEC) which is the first internationally agreed classification of energy products. IRES is a multipurpose document intended to address the need of various user groups including data producers and data users.

Las minas de carbón no son solo un desafío de gestión de la seguridad, sino también una fuente importante de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. La liberación de metano durante la minería del carbón crea condiciones de trabajo inseguras en las minas subterráneas de carbón en todo el mundo. El objetivo de esta Guía es proporcionar una contribución genuina para mejorar las prácticas de seguridad de la mina en minas subterráneas activas de carbón, apoyando prácticas de minería más seguras para reducir muertes, lesiones y pérdidas de propiedad, al mismo tiempo que se fomenta el uso del metano de la mina de carbón (CMM) para reducir el gas de efecto invernadero. Emisiones y utilizar de otro modo los recursos energéticos desperdiciados.

Le Groupe d’experts de la CEE sur le méthane provenant des mines de charbon a publié la deuxième édition du Guide des meilleures pratiques pour un drainage et une utilisation efficaces du méthane dans les mines de charbon. Depuis la publication de la première édition en 2010, les pratiques et réglementations de l’industrie ont évolué. Cette seconde édition présente les évolutions les plus critiques. La deuxième édition comprend également des études de cas supplémentaires illustrant l’application des meilleures pratiques dans les mines de charbon du monde entier. La deuxième édition du Guide des meilleures pratiques, fondée sur des principes, ne remplace pas les lois et réglementations nationales ou internationales. Il les complète plutôt par une approche globale de pratiques de gestion du méthane plus sûres et plus efficaces.

The purpose of the document is to provide non-mandatory guidance for the application of the United Nations Framework Classification for Resources 2009 (UNFC) to uranium and thorium resources. These Guidelines are intended to assist all those responsible for finding, classifying, quantifying, financing, permitting, mining, and processing these minerals such that they are fit to enter the nuclear fuel cycle. The Guidelines help to align the various resource classification systems currently in use for uranium and thorium resource management and reporting, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)/International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ‘Red Book’ resource reporting scheme and various national systems, in a coherent and consistent manner.

Criteria and indicators constitute an increasingly common policy tool to implement sustainable forest management (SFM) and to define clear priorities and targets. This should improve monitoring, reporting and assessment of key aspects of SFM performance. These guidelines provide specific concepts, definitions, tools and reference materials to guide the development process of national criteria and indicator sets for SFM. These guidelines have been developed to support the project “Accountability Systems for Sustainable Forest Management in the Caucasus and Central Asia” which is implemented through the UNECE and FAO Forestry and Timber Section and funded through the UN Development Account. The guidelines and the methods described within are used and applied for the development of national criteria and indicator sets for sustainable forest management in Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The guidelines might be also relevant for other countries.

This publication is the theme study for the 73rd session of commission to be held in May 2017. The main purpose of the publication is to call on policymakers in Asia and the Pacific for urgent actions to transition national energy sectors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly Goal 7. The energy sector transition is the only way to address the sizeable energy deficit which impede progress in energy access in a number of member countries. It will also address gaps between current commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change and lack of coherent energy strategic and policy frameworks and actions held back progress of SDG7.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been used as fuel for ships for decades but quality standards are still under development. The UNECE Group of Experts on Gas created in 2015 a task force on removing barriers to the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. This report summarises the findings to date on the main barriers to the use of gas in maritime transportation. It considered not only gas-fuelled ships, but the supply chain as well. The report demonstrates that in order to allow the use of LNG as marine fuel to grow, six key enablers need to be in place: 1) easy access to LNG, 2) reliable and safe logistics, 3) legal certainty, 4) favourable investment climate, 5) competence, knowledge and skills, and 6) public acceptance.

This publication contains the text of the United Nations Framework Classification for Fossil Energy and Mineral Reserves and Resources 2009 (UNFC-2009) and the Specifications (basic rules) for its Application. UNFC-2009 is a universally acceptable and internationally applicable scheme for the classification and reporting of fossil energy and mineral reserves and resources and is currently the only classification in the world to do so. As with extractive activities, UNFC-2009 reflects conditions in the economic and social domain, including markets and government framework conditions, technological and industrial maturity and the ever present uncertainties. It provides a single framework on which to build international energy and mineral studies, analyze government resource management policies, plan industrial processes and allocate capital efficiently. The Specifications make UNFC-2009 operational. They set out the basic rules that are considered necessary to ensure an appropriate level of consistency in application. They provide additional instructions on how UNFC-2009 should be applied in specific circumstances. By covering all extractive activities, UNFC-2009 captures the common principles and provides a tool for consistent reporting for these activities, regardless of the commodity. It is a strong code that paves the way for improved global communications which will aid stability and security of supplies, governed by fewer and more widely understood rules and guidelines. The efficiencies to be gained through the global use of UNFC-2009 and its Specifications are substantial.

Considerable progress in energy efficiency in the building sector is reported in the majority of the UNECE member States, and still reaching the potential often falls short due to flawed policy frameworks, and lack of public awareness on available modern technologies and education on long-term economic and social benefits of energy efficiency improvement. This publication is prepared in response to the outlined challenges and aims to elucidate the status of implementation of energy efficiency standards in buildings and deployment of appropriate technologies, and to identify good policy practices and replicable solutions. It also proposes a set of general recommendations and priority actions arising from the analysis.

The management of natural resources is directly associated with climate change. On the one hand, most of the greenhouse gases released in the atmosphere originate from the production, transformation and use of natural resources such as coal, natural gas and oil. On the other hand, climate change affects natural resources such as forests and agricultural produce. These interactions illustrate the two-way relationship between climate change and the commodities sector. This paper analyses the ways in which the management of natural resources may impact climate change, and how climate change impacts the adaptation strategies of countries, industries and farmers that extract or produce primary commodities. Resource management is analysed from the perspective of a capital conversion-based model of development. One important conclusion of the paper is that integrating climate change concerns into resource management implies that some natural resources will need to be stranded in order to meet mitigation commitments compatible with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursuing efforts to limit the increase in the average value of global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

This publication explores the progress in energy efficiency and renewable energy in selected countries of South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, and in the Russian Federation. The study analyzes policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks, financial environment and level of awareness in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy from 2010 to the present. It also identifies the existing gaps at the required frameworks and environment to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy investments in the countries. This study is intended to support countries in their ongoing efforts towards improving energy efficiency and building a strong renewable energy base. It proposes a set of recommendations for necessary steps in achieving the long-term objectives for energy mix and meeting the ambitious related targets set by the countries.

This is the fourteenth issue of Energy Balances and Electricity Profiles published by the United Nations Statistics Division. The publication presents energy data for selected countries in a format which shows the overall picture of energy production, conversion and consumption for fuels utilised in the country. Such a publication is useful in assessing and analysing production and consumption patterns in detail on an internationally comparable basis.

This is the eleventh issue of Energy Balances and Electricity Profiles published by the Statistics Division of the United Nations Secretariat. Like previous issues, this volume presents energy data for selected countries in a format which shows the overall picture of energy production, conversion and consumption for fuels utilised in the country. Such a publication is useful in assessing and analysing production and consumption patterns in detail on an internationally comparable basis.

This is the twelfth issue of Energy Balances and Electricity Profiles published by the Statistics Division of the United Nations Secretariat. Like previous issues, this 2002 volume presents energy data for selected countries in a format which shows the overall picture of energy production, conversion and consumption for fuels utilised in the country. Such a publication is useful in assessing and analysing production and consumption patterns in detail on an internationally comparable basis.

Cette publication contient le texte de la Classification-cadre des Nations Unies pour l’énergie et les réserves et ressources minérales fossiles 2009 (UNFC-2009) et le cahier des charges (règles de base) pour son application. La CCNU-2009 est un système universellement acceptable et applicable à l’échelle internationale pour la classification et la notification des réserves et des ressources en énergies fossiles et minérales et constitue actuellement la seule classification au monde à le faire. Comme pour les activités extractives, la CCNU-2009 reflète les conditions du domaine économique et social, notamment les conditions-cadres des marchés et des pouvoirs publics, la maturité technologique et industrielle et les incertitudes toujours présentes. Il fournit un cadre unique pour la réalisation d’études internationales sur l’énergie et les minéraux, l’analyse des politiques gouvernementales en matière de gestion des ressources, la planification des processus industriels et l’affectation efficace des capitaux. Les spécifications rendent la CCNU-2009 opérationnelle. Ils énoncent les règles de base jugées nécessaires pour assurer un niveau approprié de cohérence dans l’application. Ils fournissent des instructions supplémentaires sur la manière dont la CCNU-2009 devrait être appliquée dans des circonstances spécifiques. En couvrant toutes les activités extractives, la CCNU-2009 reprend les principes communs et fournit un outil permettant de rendre compte de manière cohérente de ces activités, quel que soit le produit de base. C’est un code fort qui ouvre la voie à de meilleures communications mondiales qui contribueront à la stabilité et à la sécurité des approvisionnements, régies par des règles et des directives moins nombreuses et mieux comprises. L’utilisation efficace de la CCNU-2009 et de ses spécifications est un gage d’efficacité.

Today coal supplies around 30 per cent of global primary energy and 40 per cent of global electricity. Coal extraction has become increasingly challenging as shallow reserves are exhausted and deeper seams, with significant content of methane, are mined. Societies are demanding and expecting safer mine working conditions, and greater environmental stewardship from the coal industry. The global coal industry, national governments, trade unions, and worker safety advocates are concerned that the frequency and severity of methane explosions, especially in emerging economies, are unacceptably high. Coal mine methane (CMM) only becomes flammable and creates an explosion hazard when allowed to mix with air. Methane-rich gases, generally containing 80 per cent to 95 per cent methane at underground mining depths, occur naturally in coal seams and are released as CMM when coal seams are disturbed by mining activities. Methane is an explosive gas in the range of 5 per cent to 15 per cent methane in air. The application of best practices for methane drainage and use is critical to reduce methane-related accidents and explosions that all too often accompany coal mining, while also contributing to environmental protection through reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Good mining practices need to be transferred to all countries to ensure that risks are managed professionally and effectively. No mine, even in the most developed countries, is free from safety risks. Regardless of location or mining conditions, it is possible to significantly reduce the risk of methane related incidents and explosions. Good safety practice in coal mines is to reduce explosion risk by preventing the occurrence of explosive mixtures and, where practical, by monitoring and rapidly diluting explosive mixtures to safe concentrations.

Coal mines are not only a safety management challenge but also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Methane release during coal mining creates unsafe working conditions in underground coal mines around the world. This Guidance is intended to provide a genuine contribution to improve mine safety practices at active underground coal mines, by supporting safer mining practices to reduce fatalities, injuries, and property losses, while encouraging the use of coal mine methane (CMM) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and utilize otherwise –wasted energy resources.

This publication highlights challenges and priorities of the East and North-East Asia subregion (ENEA) in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Subregion comprises China, Japan, Mongolia, the two Koreas and Russia. It highlights the priority areas for ENEA as poverty reduction and safeguarding basic needs; enhancing energy efficiency and optimizing energy structure; addressing climate change; increasing resilience to disasters; enhancing resource efficiency; ecological innovation for growth; integrating population ageing in national development priorities, and development assistance. Statistical tables and graphs of the latest data of SDG indicators are provided.

The Energy Statistics Yearbook 2007 is a comprehensive collection of international energy statistics prepared by the United Nations Statistics Division. It is the fifty-first in a series of annual compilations which commenced under the title World Energy Supplies in Selected Years, 1929-1950. The principal objective of the Yearbook is to provide a global framework of comparable data on long-term trends in the supply of mainly commercial primary and secondary forms of energy. Data for each type of fuel and aggregate data for the total mix of commercial fuels are shown for individual countries and areas and are summarized into regional and world totals. This issue of the Yearbook contains data in original and common units (coal equivalent, oil equivalent, and joules) for the years 2004-2007.

The Energy Statistics Yearbook 2004 is a comprehensive collection of international energy statistics prepared by the United Nations Statistics Division. It is the forty-eighth in a series of annual compilations which commenced under the title World Energy Supplies in Selected Years, 1929-1950. The principal objective of the Yearbook is to provide a global framework of comparable data on long-term trends in the supply of mainly commercial primary and secondary forms of energy. Data for each type of fuel and aggregate data for the total mix of commercial fuels are shown for individual countries and areas and are summarized into regional and world totals. This issue of the Yearbook contains data in original and common units (coal equivalent, oil equivalent, joules) for the years 2001-2004.

The 2014 Energy Statistics Yearbook is the fifty-seventh issue in a series of annual compilations of internationally comparable statistics summarizing world energy trends. Annual data for 228 countries and areas for the period 2011 to 2014 are presented on production, trade and consumption of energy: solids, liquids, gaseous fuels, electricity and heat, covering both renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. In addition, per capita consumption series are also provided for all energy products. Graphs are included to illustrate historic trends and/or changes in composition of production and/or consumption of major energy products. Special tables of interest include: international trade tables for coal, crude petroleum and natural gas by partner countries – providing information on direction of trade; selected series of statistics on renewables and wastes; refinery distillation capacity; and a table on selected energy resources.

This study assesses the potential for energy conservation in CIS member countries to the year 2010 and explains how improvements in energy efficiency of member countries could contribute to enhancing their energy security. Achieving even part of the large energy conservation thought to be possible would have important environmental benefits since much of the savings would come from fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study recommends a series of linked solutions to be implemented in stages as short, medium and long-term activities to achieve energy efficiency goals.