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NTS Bulletin January 2011 (Issue 1)

Issues:

Note: Please click on the respective titles or headers for the full report.

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Growing Optimism Marks Cancún Climate Change Talks

The recent UN Climate Change Conference (COP16) in Cancún, Mexico concluded on a generally positive note as growing optimism replaced the disappointment that defined the 2009 talks in Copenhagen.

While there is still no legally binding agreement on carbon emissions reduction targets, Cancún has delivered agreements on the setting up of a Green Climate Fund for developing countries, the protection of tropical forests through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) programmes and commitments to clean technology transfers. Although the talks were preceded by some criticism of unambitious goals, such humble expectations may have contributed to positive developments as negotiators appeared to have been more open to compromise. There were many laudable outcomes – from achieving agreements that are multilateral, to precipitating the momentum for action in areas such as reducing deforestation. However, negative sentiments still beleaguer the so-called Cancún Agreement, and the deal has been criticised as too modest to address the pressing challenges of climate change mitigation.

In addition, the future of the Kyoto Protocol (KP) is increasingly in doubt as Japan indicated that it would not sign to a new commitment under the former framework and suggested creating a fresh agreement. The uncertainty surrounding the KP, which is the most significant agreement on emissions regulation in the history of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process, is a major issue as the need for redoubled mitigation efforts is increasingly pressing. The international community now has one year left to realise a legally binding treaty, before the KP expires in 2012. While Cancún has provided a springboard for the 2011 climate talks in Durban, South Africa, the modest global deal must be complemented by robust actions in the future. Cautious optimism has returned to the negotiation process, however, and the prospects for progress in climate mitigation appear to have improved.

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CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY AND NATURAL DISASTERS

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

Asian Development Bank (ADB), 2010, ADB Climate Change Programs: Facilitating Integrated Solutions in Asia and the Pacific, Manila.

In assisting Asia and the Pacific to deal with climate change, the ADB’s approach is to serve as a catalyst. This paper outlines the ADB’s ongoing and emerging climate change mitigation and adaptation programmes developed in partnership with its member countries.

Bodansky, Daniel and Elliot Diringer, 2010, The Evolution of Multilateral Regimes: Implications for Climate Change, Arlington: Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

This paper examines arrangements which are part of the international climate architecture and related issues, and explores the evolution of climate change regimes over the years. It concludes that an evolutionary process in multilateral regime-building is politically the most promising way forward.

Zhuang, Juzhong, Suphachol Suphachalasai and Jindra Nuella Samson, 2010, The Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia, Asia Security Initiative Policy Series Working Paper No. 9, Singapore: RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies.

This paper presents an economic analysis of the impacts of climate change in Southeast Asia. It examines policy implications given the goals of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and underlines a few priorities for adaptation and mitigation actions.

Events and Announcements

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ENERGY AND HUMAN SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

International Resources Group (IRG), 2010, Power Factor: Policy Implications for the Scale-up of CFL Programs, Bangkok: United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

This report equips policymakers with information on the potential benefits, costs and risks of using high power factor (HPF) compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). It also identifies issues that need to be factored in during policy consideration. One of its conclusions is that HPF CFL does not deliver additional value in most cases. Therefore, policymakers need to clarify and prioritise policy goals, and evaluate local infrastructure and market conditions when making decisions on regulations or procurement related to CFL power factor.

Kempener, Ruud, Laura D. Anadon and Jose Condor, 2010, Governmental Energy Innovation Investments, Policies, and Institutions in the Major Emerging Economies: Brazil, Russia, India, Mexico, China, and South Africa, Energy Technology Innovation Policy Discussion Paper No. 2010–16, Cambridge: Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University.

This paper studies the implications of the rise of six emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, Mexico, China and South Africa – for energy technology innovation (ETI) at both the national and international levels. It also provides data and relevant information on ETI and energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) investments. It concludes by identifying areas for future cooperation and coordination among the six economies.

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), 2010, Assessment Report on Energy Efficiency Institutional Arrangements in Asia, ESCAP Policy Discussion Paper, Bangkok.

This report argues that energy efficiency is crucial in ensuring sustainable development in Asia. It identifies the challenges in and opportunities for promoting energy efficiency. It also looks at some of the regional institutional arrangements concerned with energy efficiency such as the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the Energy Centre of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Events and Announcements

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FOOD SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

World Growth, 2010, Palm Oil and Food Security: The Impediment of Land Supply, How Environmentalists and ‘No Conversion’ Are Inflating Land Prices, Arlington.

This report argues that proposals to reduce the amount of land converted for agriculture under schemes such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) will have a detrimental impact on global food prices and hunger levels. It examines the debate over the environmental impact of palm oil, looking at how ‘no conversion’ proposals directly harm people living in poverty in developing nations.

Lerner, Amy M. and Hallie Eakin, 2010, ‘An Obsolete Dichotomy? Rethinking the Rural–urban Interface in Terms of Food Security and Production in the Global South’, The Geographical Journal, December.

This paper explores the link between rural and urban environments and focuses on the emerging geographical spaces comprising of both of those worlds. It examines how such peri-urban spaces could affect livelihoods and food security. The authors propose a modified livelihood framework to evaluate the contexts in which food production may be maintained despite the existence of factors typically associated with its demise.

Naylor, Rosamond L. and Walter P. Falcon, 2010, ‘Food Security in an Era of Economic Volatility’, Population and Development Review, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 693–723.

This article analyses the price fluctuations of international commodities, assesses food policies in response to those fluctuations and explores the food security implications of variable prices on low-income groups. It argues that price spikes frequently result in self-sufficiency policies that create even more price volatility. Attempts by governments to stabilise prices also often lead to greater food insecurity among poor households.

Events and Announcements

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HEALTH AND HUMAN SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Selected Publications

World Health Organization (WHO), 2010, World Health Statistics 2010, Geneva.

This is an annual compilation of health-related data and indicators from the WHO’s 193 member states. It includes a summary of progress towards the health-related Millennium Development Goals and targets. Areas covered include: mortality and burden of disease; cause-specific mortality and morbidity; selected infectious diseases; health service coverage; risk factors; workforce, infrastructure and essential medicines; health expenditure; health inequities; and demographic and socioeconomic statistics.

Bennett, Sara, Sachiko Ozawa and Krishna D. Rao, 2010, ‘Which Path to Universal Health Coverage? Perspectives on the World Health Report 2010’, PLoS Medicine, Vol. 7, No. 11.

This article assesses the key policy recommendations of the World Health Report (WHR) 2010 towards the achievement of universal health coverage. It argues that although the WHR is a breakthrough in that it provides a wealth of empirical evidence to support decision-making on health financing, much more needs to be done to inform the difficult implementation and political choices that governments need to make in order to make universal health coverage a sustainable reality.

Boerma, J. Ties, Colin Mathers and Carla Abou-Zahr, 2010, ‘WHO and Global Health Monitoring: The Way Forward’, PLoS Medicine, Vol. 7, No. 11.

This article examines the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in global health monitoring and offers suggestions on how it can take a more proactive stance in the field. It argues that this is important because the WHO is well-positioned to continue to play a lead role in statistical estimation work due to its constitutional mandate, its accountability to member states, its ability to mobilise global expertise, and its unique position to generate productive interactions between global monitoring and country information systems.

Events and Announcements

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About the Centre:

The Centre for NTS Studies of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies was inaugurated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan in May 2008. The Centre maintains research in the fields of Food Security, Climate Change, Energy Security, Health Security as well as Internal and Cross Border Conflict. It produces policy-relevant analyses aimed at furthering awareness and building capacity to address NTS issues and challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The Centre also provides a platform for scholars and policymakers within and outside Asia to discuss and analyse NTS issues in the region.

In 2009, the Centre was chosen by the MacArthur Foundation as a lead institution for the MacArthur Asia Security Initiative, to develop policy research capacity and recommend policies on the critical security challenges facing the Asia-Pacific.

The Centre is also a founding member and the Secretariat for the Consortium of Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies in Asia (NTS-Asia). More information on the Centre can be found at www.rsis.edu.sg/nts