Global energy governance reform - Grantham Discussion Paper 3

Authors: Neil Hirst and Antony Froggatt
Published: December 2012

This joint paper by Neil Hirst, Grantham Institute, and Antony Froggatt, Chatham House, reviews the existing international bodies concerned with energy policy, discusses the critical issues of today’s energy politics and looks at the need for closer cooperation.      

This report is about the institutions for international energy cooperation between governments, and, how they need to adapt to meet today’s energy policy challenges. It argues that international energy governance has not kept pace with the emergence of major developing nations, with the changing relations between oil producers and consumers, with the emergence of climate mitigation as a central energy policy issue, and with the technology revolution that is required. The report makes recommendations for reform, but also aims to be realistic about the difficulties of changing existing international institutions.

Contents

1. Executive summary
2. Introduction
3. Today’s needs for international cooperation on energy policy
4. Today’s energy governance institutions
5. What is wrong with the existing structure?
6. Elements of an improved structure
7. A pragmatic approach
8. Conclusions and recommendations

Find out more about Grantham Institute research on global energy governance