Beyond the Carbon Economy: Energy Law in Transition

The present energy economy, with its heavy dependence on fossil fuels, is not sustainable over the medium to long term for many interconnected reasons. Climate change is now recognized as posing a serious threat. Energy and resource decisions involving the carbon fuels therefore play a large role in this threat. Fossil fuel reserves may also be running short and many of the major reserves are in politically unstable parts of the world. Yet citizens in nations with rapidly developing economies aspire to the benefits of the modern energy economy. China and India alone have 2.4 billion potential customers for cars, industries, and electrical services. Even so, more than half of the world's citizens still lack access to energy. Decisions involving fossil fuels are therefore a significant part of the development equation. This volume explains how the law can impede or advance the shift to a world energy picture significantly different from that which exists today. It first examines the factors that create the problems of the present carbon economy, including environmental concerns and development goals. It then provides international and regional legal perspectives, examining public international law, regional legal structures, the responses of international legal bodies, and the role of major international nongovernmental actors. The book then moves on to explore sectoral perspectives including the variety of renewable energy sources, new carbon fuels, nuclear power, demand controls, and energy efficiency. Finally, the authors examine how particular States are, could, or should, be adapting legally to the challenges of moving beyond the carbon economy. Contributors to this volume - Catherine Redgwell: Professor of International Law and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Laws, University College London Donald N. Zillman: Godfrey Professor of Law, University of Maine School of Law, Portland, Maine Yinka Omorogbe: Professor and Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, Nigeria Lila K. Barrera-Hernandez: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Calgary, Canada David Keith: Canada Research Chair in Energy and the Environment, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering and Department of Economics, University of Calgary and Adjunct Professor, Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University George 'Rock' Pring: Professor of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law John Gulliver: Partner and Chair, International Practice and Energy Law Groups, Pierce Atwood Attorneys, Portland, Maine Fui Tsikata: Reindorf Chambers Lawyers, Ghana Abeeku Brew-Hammond, Associate Professor of Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, Manager of Global Village Energy Partnership Technical Secretariat in the United Kingdom Professor Adrian Bradbrook: University of Adelaide, Australia Richard Ottinger: Professor and Dean Emeritus, Pace University Law School, White Plains, New York Alistair R. Lucas: Professor of Law, University of Calgary Barry Barton: School of Law, University of Waikato, New Zealand Inigo del Guayo: Professor of Administrative Law, University of Almeria, Spain Anita Ronne: Associate Professor of Energy Law, University of Copenhagen Aileen McHarg: Senior Lecturer in Public Law, University of Glasgow Ulf Hammer: Professor of Law, Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law, Oslo Nigel Bankes: Professor of Law, University of Calgary Martha Roggenkamp: Professor of Energy Law, University of Groningen, Netherlands and Counsel, Simmons & Simmons, Rotterdam Dr. Wang Mingyuan: Executive Director and Associate Professor, Center for Environmental, Natural Resources & Energy Law, Tsinghua University School of Law, Beijing Yanko Marcius de Alencar Xavier: Professor of Public Law, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil Lee Godden: Associate Professor of Law, University of Melbourne, Australia Professor Jose Juan Gonzalez: Department of Law, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Mexico City Kazuhiro Nakatani: Professor of International Law, University of Tokyo Dr. Lavanya Rajamani: Associate Professor, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi Irina Krasnova: Professor of Law, Moscow State Juridical Academy, Russia Lawrence Asekome Atsegbua: Professor of Law, University of Benin, Nigeria