Search results for ""Author Anilla Cherian""

Energy and Global Climate Change: Bridging the Sustainable Development Divide focuses attention on two urgent global development challenges faced by the UN and its member states: access to sustainable energy for all, and global climate change. This book presents compelling evidence about an often neglected aspect of the energy-climate change-development nexus faced by millions of poor: problems caused by the use of inefficient and polluting energy sources, and the lack of access to sustainable energy services. Based on a detailed examination of major UN global climate change and sustainable development negotiated outcomes over the course of several decades, this book argues in a powerful and insightful manner that intergovernmental negotiated outcomes aimed at solving the climate change and energy access challenges have been restricted by being placed in different negotiating silos. This “siloization” or compartmentalization has resulted in separate tracks of negotiated outcomes on two inextricably linked global development challenges; and, has thereby hindered prospects for integrated action. This book points out that the existence of these two silos is especially hard to ignore in light of the urgent UN-led quest for an integrated and universal post-2015 development agenda anticipated to be anchored by new sustainable development goals on energy access and climate change. By addressing the heavy reliance on inefficient and polluting energy services which result in indoor air pollution and short lived climate pollutants that tragically impact millions of poor people, this book highlights the unique importance of integrated action on the energy-poverty-climate change nexus in the UN’s post-2015 development era.

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AIR POLLUTION, CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE Anthropogenic climate change is a globally recognized threat multiplier. Yet, decades of intergovernmental negotiations have failed to curb toxic levels of fossil fuel energy-related air pollution which the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as the world's largest, single environmental health risk. Lying in plain view are the troubling truths about the morbidity and ill-health burdens associated with anthropogenic climate change that are borne by those who have done the least to contribute to per capita emissions of greenhouse gas emissions. Ignoring the nexus between air pollution, lack of access to clean energy and climate adversities represents a collective failure of the UN's ambitious, universally agreed upon 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (SDA) which pledged 'to leave no one behind'. This book highlights the air pollution crisis that emanates from the heavy reliance on polluting forms of energy and the urbanization of poverty in developing countries. It provides a framework for understanding why the broader sustainable development community needs to address the more neglected intersection between adverse climatic impacts and energy-related air pollution which devastates the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable amongst us, especially young children, women and the elderly. It focuses on the importance of breaking down persistent global silos and goals on sustainable energy for all, and climate change reflected in the UN�s 2030 SDA, and the 2015 Paris Agreement. Integrating clean air and climate mitigation measures that specifically include curbing short lived climate pollutants such as black carbon via innovative partnerships/modalities are seen as vital to clean energy and climate responsive action. This book argues that linked actions by non-nation state actors aimed at reducing air pollution and ameliorating short term climate pollutants in the most populous cities, particularly in countries like India where annual average particulate matter pollution levels consistently exceed WHO guidelines are essential in reducing grave health costs and disease burdens. Air Pollution, Clean Energy and Climate Change will be of particular interest to policy makers, researchers, environmental advocates, civil society stakeholders and practitioners who want to understand the urgency of addressing linkages between climate change, fossil fuel energy, air pollution and public health risks. The cover image is an oil painting by Anilla Cherian, which incorporates tree bark and twigs, and serves as a reminder of the daily energy sources used by millions who lack access to clean energy and are exposed to high levels of household air pollution. It is the second-part of a series, with the first one serving as the cover image to Energy and Global Climate Change (Cherian, 2015). Photograph of painting by Alison Sheehy Photography.

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