Download ISSUE: 3 QUESTION OF: Intensifying measures in the development

ISSUE: 3
QUESTION OF: Intensifying measures in the development and implementation of
renewable energy sources within Member States
MAIN SUBMITTER: Denmark
CO-SUBMITTERS: Bahamas, Ukraine, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Botswana,
Solomon Islands, Dominica, Singapore
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
Emphasizing the fact that, in today’s critical global climate state, it is not only
pertinent to preserve scarce energy resources, but vital to further develop and
implement renewable energy resources in order to preserve the currently deteriorating
global environment,
Alarmed by the fact that human activity in regards to fuel overwhelms our
environment with carbon dioxide and other dangerous greenhouse gasses (such as
nitrous oxide, fluorinated gasses, and methane), which trap heat and increase the
plant’s temperature (average global temperature on Earth has increased by about 0.8oC
since 1880),
Noting with satisfaction that the use of renewable energy (wind, solar and hydro
being the most common), is largely gaining momentum as a major energy source
throughout numerous Member States, 156 in total, 11 of which are successfully
moving towards 100% renewable energy use,
Acknowledges the efforts of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in
aiding over 120 developing countries to create a socio-economic context that allows
further expansion of renewable energy,
Draws the attention to the UN-Energy mechanism which promotes coherence in the
energy field and increases collective engagement of organizations in the renewable
energy issue,
Expressing its appreciation in regards to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change
having entered force on November 4th 2016, and covering over 55% of total global
emissions, to which 192 parties signed, and a further 92 parties ratified as of
November 1st 2016,
Reaffirming that "Unsustainable patterns of energy production and consumption
threaten not only human health and quality of life but also affect ecosystems and
contribute to climate change. Sustainable energy, therefore, can be an engine for
poverty reduction, social progress, equity, enhanced resilience, economic growth, and
environmental sustainability,” as stated by the UNDP,
Approving the UNDP's efforts throughout the past 2 years, in terms of supporting
more than 120 developing and middle income countries through establishing
programs aimed to focus on renewable and efficient energy,
Noting with deep concern that non-renewable energy sources such as coal, oil and
natural gas, lead to harmful and toxic emissions that disrupt not only local wildlife,
but also endanger human health and damage the environment (in the process of
conversion of fossil fuels to usable energy), unlike renewable energy sources,
Noting further the other harmful results of the conversion of fossil fuels to usable
energy such as acid deposition, land pollution, or oil spills,
Deeply conscious that non-renewable energy source production disasters such as
British Petroleum's oil spill of 2010 is not only detrimental for the environment, but
also highly costly, as shown by the estimated $2.5 billion in losses to the Louisiana
fishing market alone, and $3 billion in tourism income in Florida,
Bearing in mind the difficulty with which landlocked countries are seeking to exploit
renewable energy sources,
1. Encourages Member States to increase the domestically allocated budget
dedicated to provision for, development of, and implementation of renewable
energy in order to work towards a higher national percentage of overall renewable
energy use through means such as but not limited to:
a. Restructuring the allocation and distribution of government spending,
focusing it less on sectors of fossil fuel production, and more on renewable
energy Research and Development (R&D) as well as manufacturing,
b. Offering subsidies to organizations or training programs dedicated to
renewable energy;
2. Calls upon MEDCs to encourage the production of renewable energy resources by
implementing financial incentives that encourage investment in the renewable
energy sector such as but not limited to:
a. Low-interest loans,
b. Tax breaks or tax reductions,
c. Subsidization of renewable energy production,
d. Subsidization of firms that use renewable energy in production,
e. Feed-in tariffs;
3. Endorses the implementation of Renewable Energy Standard (RES) policies
which require electricity providers to have a certain percentage of their output
come from renewable energy sources;
4. Requests the assistance of the UNDP in implementing programs that would aid
developing countries in the implementation of renewable energy sources through:
a. Creating a socio-economic context that would allow development of
renewable energy sources,
b. Conducting studies that would give accurate information about the
potential of renewable energy sources in specific countries,
c. Gathering information specific to the country, regarding:
i. The current state of renewable energy sources,
ii. The current usage of non-renewable energy sources,
iii. The functionality of the grid,
iv. The costs of developing and consuming renewable energy,
d. Providing accurate information about the renewable energy market for
potential investors;
5. Approves the compensating of failure to fulfill emission-reduction commitments
established by the Kyoto protocol by investing in renewable energy projects in
developing countries as stated by the Clean Development Mechanism;
6. Urges member states to create specific legislation that would ensure companies or
individuals that discover new technology relating to renewable energy
development, patents in those discoveries thus incentivizing and recompensing
investors;
7. Further recommends developing nations to implement policies which would
improve renewable energy market desirability, such as but not limited to:
a. Reducing fossil fuel subsidies,
b. Improving cost allocation policies which outline a clear cost recovery for
investors in new transmission facilities,
c. Using the Ernst & Young’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness
Index (RECAI) as a reference;
8. Supports the establishment of advertisement in efforts to raise awareness on
matters such as but not limited to:
a. The welfares of utilization of renewable energy, these encompassing
benefits such as but not limited to:
i. Increased price stability due to the fact that renewable energy
sources provide a longer-term and more efficient solution for the
issue of nationwide energy provision,
ii. Environmental protection through reduced carbon emissions, as
well as less scarce natural resource exhaustion,
b. Costs of negative externalities of the consumption and production of fossil
fuels,
c. The investment in such energy sources that ultimately result in efficiency,
d. Organizations that promote use of renewable energy sources that can also
receive donations to improve usage of renewable energy,
e. Increasing information on job availability within the renewable energy
sector, in order to increase the development and workforce in said
industry, as well as potentially increase the technological state of the
country,
9. Encourages the realization of an international climate policy, such as a welldesigned Cap and Trade program for carbon emissions, which would include
elements such as the implementation of carbon pricing and taxation, in order to
increase the price of carbon emission, thus making producers and consumers seek
alternatives of low carbon technologies;
10. Requests that Member States establish information-based websites in
collaboration with the UNDP as well as other programs, organizations (both
intergovernmental as well as non-governmental) that would increase awareness
and apprise households on issues such as but not limited to:
a. Methods to contribute to the grid through small-scale renewable power
systems,
b. Nation specific financial aid given to households, utilizing aforementioned
energy sources;
11. Further recommends efforts to increase the efficiency of intercommunication
between nations, in order to allow for the provision of coherent discourse
regarding renewable energy sources of Member States and non-governmental
organizations. concerning issues such as but not limited to:
a. Sharing of initiatives and currently implemented programs, systems,
regulations or policies which have proven successful in increasing nationwide use of renewable energy sources,
b. The development of new technologies in the renewable energy industry,
c. Establishing future targets aimed at increasing the usage of renewable
energy sources as done by organizations, such as but not limited to the:
i. International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA),
ii. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
12. Requests that the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund provide
financial aid to LEDCs in order to allow for the establishment of a context which
will make renewable energy development possible;
13. Decides to remain actively seized on the matter.