The InterAcademy Council has just released a new report, commissioned by the governments of Brazil and China, that indentifies a detailed scientific consensus framework for directing global energy development. The report, Lighting the way: Toward a sustainable energy future, lays out the science, technology and policy roadmap for developing energy resources to drive economic growth in both developed and developing countries, while also securing climate protection and global development goals.

From a briefing to the Brazilian Minister of Science and Technology, Sergio Machado Rezende, on Oct. 16 in Brasilia:

Lighting the way establishes the best practices for a global transition to a clean, affordable and sustainable energy supply in both developing and developed countries. The report addresses incentives that can accelerate the development of innovative solutions, provides recommendations for financial investments in research and development, and explores other transition pathways that can transform the landscape of energy supply and demand around the globe.

In addressing mitigation of the environmental impacts of energy generation and use, Lighting the way will inform global action on climate change, such as implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, agenda-setting for the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, and ongoing multinational talks on future global action to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Lighting the way also confronts the unequal access to energy experienced by the one-third of the world’s population without access to basic energy services, and makes recommendations for addressing this disparity as well as for promoting national and global energy security.

For those who are familiar with these issues, the approaches suggested are not necessarily earth shattering, but the fact that they are backed by solid scientific data, and that the report was sponsored by some of the highest ranking authorities in government and academia lends it some solid weight.

The report calls for action on three fronts:

  • Concerted efforts should be mounted to improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon intensity
    of the world economy, including the worldwide introduction of price signals for carbon emissions.
  • Technologies should be developed and deployed for capturing and sequestering carbon from fossil
    fuels, particularly coal.
  • Development and deployment of renewable energy technologies should be accelerated in an
    environmentally responsible way.

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