http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/rss/9 This feed contains all new content on the Chatham House website related to Energy, Environment and Development. http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/668/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/668/ The EU is currently at a hectic stage in the development of its internal climate change policies. Having proposed a package of measures in January 2008, the Commission aims to finalize a deal by the end of the year. The key elements include proposals to improve and extend the EU emissions trading scheme (Europe's flagship carbon market), an allocation of effort between member states on reducing emissions, and an ambitious Directive to meet 20% of the EU's total energy demand from renewable sources. There is also ongoing debate over the support for the demonstration of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology. Added into this mix are the international climate change negotiations which are supposed to reach a global deal by the end of 2009. This paper introduces a novel way of looking at the interaction between carbon markets and technology support mechanisms with the hope that an intuitive picture of the fundamentals will promote a clearer and more productive policy dialogue. Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:45:02 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/470/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/470/ The current financial crisis should come as no surprise, writes Dr Paola Subacchi in this month's The World Today. As early as 2004 structural cracks became apparent and now the stability of the international financial system is at stake. The ultimate goal is to prevent a systemic crisis but it is not clear who should take the lead. Also in this month's issue: Martin Plaut, Africa Editor of the BBC World Service, examines the crisis facing South Africa following the removal of President Thabo Mbeki from office. He concludes that what is at stake is the question of whether the judiciary is above political interference. Romilly Gregory of Oxfam explains how cheap mobile phone devices and mobile internet services are fast-becoming critical tools in helping a billion people around the world. Other articles look at Russia and Georgia and the international arms trade. More about The World Today >> Full list of contents: Financial Crisis: Panic, Blame and Crash Avoidance Paola Subacchi Economic Crisis: Down They Fall Vanessa Rossi Russia and Georgia: A Dangerous GameJames Sherr Moscow's Domestic Policy: Russian Roulette Lilia Shevtsova Georgia, Russia and Energy: Going for Gas John Roberts Two-Tier NATO: Alliance DividedTimo Noetzel and Benjamin Schreer Food Reserves: Just One Failed Harvest...Daryll E Ray and Harwood D Schaffer Mobile Phones: Dialling Change Romilly Gregory South African Judicary: Threat to JusticeMartin Plaut South Africa's Leadership: Uncertain Future James Hamill International Arms Trade Treaty: Gun Control Paul Cornish Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:56:19 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/667/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/667/ Download Paper here (French version) This is a report of a meeting, Alternative Management Models and Finance Mechanisms for Sustainable Forest Use in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which took place at the Grand Hôtel de Kinshasa from 23-24 June 2008. The objectives of the Kinshasa workshop included (1) the presentation of five proposals developed by different organisations with a view to analysing their feasibility and effectiveness, strengths and weaknesses, and any challenges which have to be overcome; (2) the description of the next steps to be taken, identification of who should implement these and development of a timeline for activities. This meeting was part of the workshop, Towards Sustainable Management and Financing of the Democratic Republic of Congo. More information on the project Developing Innovative Management and Financing Models for the Forests of The Democratic Republic of Congo >> Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:13:26 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/941/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/941/ 14:30, 13th October 2008 - In this wide-ranging book, international experts explain the links between climate change and forests, highlighting the potential role of this sector within emerging climate policy frameworks and carbon markets. Analysing the operation and efficacy of marketbased mechanisms for forest conservation and climate change, the contributors draw on project examples from around the world to present concrete recommendations for policymakers, project developers, and market participants. This event will be followed by an open reception. Book details >> Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:26:47 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/books/view/-/id/966/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/books/view/-/id/966/ In this wide-ranging volume, international experts explain the links between climate change and forests, highlighting the potential role of this sector within emerging climate policy frameworks and carbon markets. Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:15:48 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/conferences/view/-/id/140/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/conferences/view/-/id/140/ 00:00, 9th March 2009 - Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:25:27 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/917/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/917/ 08:00, 8th October 2008 - This Chatham House briefing is organised in collaboration with the Embassy of Brazil in the UK. For more information email Lucy Ellinas. Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:36:24 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/655/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/655/ This background paper attempts to summarise some of the issues for discussion at a Energy, Environment and Development Programme workshop around the following questions: Will biofuels have a large role in the energy mix of the future? What is driving biofuels demand? What are the opportunities and constraints for the supply of biofuels to meet this demand, including their impact? What are the factors that will shape the market for biofuels? The paper concludes by referring to some of the practical policy measures that are being proposed to ensure that biofuels play an appropriate role in a sustainable energy future. Workshop details >> Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:12:57 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/conferences/view/-/id/134/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/conferences/view/-/id/134/ 00:00, 2nd March 2009 - Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:15:22 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/conferences/view/-/id/132/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/conferences/view/-/id/132/ 00:00, 9th February 2009 - The Politics of Investment and Supply Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:29:27 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/905/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/905/ 08:00, 12th February 2008 - This event is strictly by invitation only. To enable as open a debate as possible, this event will be held under the Chatham House Rule Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:21:56 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/902/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/902/ 07:00, 15th May 2008 - Most conventional oil market forecasts are expecting the demand for oil to rise inexorably as we move towards 2030. However, there are growing concerns that the supply is unlikely to be available. This is nothing to do with scarcity of oil reserves or misplaced notions such as 'peak oil'. Rather it is the result of very significant structural changes in the international oil industry. These changes mean that international and national oil companies are not investing enough in the supply chain. Consequently, in the next five to ten years, oil markets are likely to face a serious supply crisis leading to an oil price shock which will have huge implications for global energy. This event is strictly by invitation only. To enable as open a debate as possible, this event will be held under the Chatham House Rule Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:02:16 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/900/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/900/ 23:00, 17th September 2008 - Please note this event is strictly by invitation only. This event will launch a Chatham House Commission Report, A British Agenda for Europe. The report addresses some of the key policy challenges facing Britain in the next couple of decades, and considers the part the European Union has to play in tackling them. Commission Chair Sir Stephen Wall and other Commission Members will introduce the key findings and recommendations of the report. There will then be opportunity for an in-depth discussion of these issues and to question the Commission members. During 2007-08 Chatham House convened a Commission on Europe after Fifty: Policy Implications for Britain, whose members would bring to the study a combination of different areas of individual expertise and experience on the European Union, including economics, energy, security and foreign policy. The majority of the Commission members are British, however, non-British perspectives were also included in the Commission in order to encourage a more rounded discussion of British policy options and how they might be received in other European capitals. More about the work of the Commission. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:11:07 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/460/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/460/ The world will experience a serious oil supply crunch within five to ten years unless there is a collapse in oil demand. This is the conclusion of a new Chatham House report, The Coming Oil Supply Crunch, which predicts a resulting oil price spike that could exceed $200 a barrel. Investment in new supplies has been and will be inadequate. This is partly due to incentives for international oil companies to return dividends to shareholders rather than reinvest them. It is also a result of a resurgence in 'resource nationalism' and some governments starving their national oil companies of investment funds. To ward off a potential crisis, the report recommends helping producers manage 'resource curse' issues, welcoming sovereign wealth funds and bringing OPEC into the International Energy Agency's emergency sharing mechanism. The rise in price itself has continued partly because OECD governments are reluctant to intervene in energy markets. The market alone cannot necessarily provide sufficient incentives for conservation, fuel-switching or bringing more energy on-stream, so this laissez-faire attitude has failed to either constrain demand or increase supply. But, given the coming price spike, governments may well be forced to change tack. Professor Paul Stevens, the report's author, explains the dynamics of current high prices in comparison with past oil shocks. The report argues that not enough money and expertise were invested in the 1990s to maintain excess capacity to produce crude oil if consumption continues along present trends. History shows us that whenever such excess capacity is run down, the oil price rises sharply. Notes to Editors: Read The Coming Oil Supply Crunch >> Paul Stevens is Senior Research Fellow for Energy at Chatham House and Emeritus Professor at Dundee University. He has published extensively on energy economics, the international petroleum industry and the political economy of the Gulf. For media enquiries please contact: Nicola Norton, Media Relations Manager Direct: +44 (0)20 7957 5739 Mobile: +44 (0)7917 757 528 Email Nicola Norton Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:30:33 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/652/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/652/ This report argues that unless there is a collapse in oil demand within the next five to ten years, there will be a serious oil 'supply crunch' - not because of below-ground resource constraints but because of inadequate investment by international oil companies (IOCs) and national oil companies (NOCs). An oil supply crunch is where excess crude producing capacity falls to low levels and is followed by a crude 'outage' leading to a price spike. If this happens then the resulting price spike will carry serious policy implications with long-lasting effects on the global energy picture. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:02:49 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/books/view/-/id/965/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/books/view/-/id/965/ This book sets the ongoing saga of Caspian pipeline politics against the background of global energy security. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:24:01 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/459/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/459/ As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights approaches its sixtieth anniversary, this month's The World Today looks at the status of human rights worldwide. Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 2004-8, writes that while there may be much to celebrate, the goal of making human rights truly universal is far from being achieved. Profound and deepening divisions between rich and poor, a security environment that exposes minorities to additional risks, and an expanded UN membership, have all amplified and exacerbated cultural, religious and political divisions especially on issues such as human rights. Against this background of shifting interests and values, in the name of which, all too often, discrimination is perpetrated, international human rights law provides the best, most reliable and fairest guide for managing and protecting multiple identities. The task now is not only to prompt states to give real effect to human rights but also to create a constituency for the middle ground where different national and regional interests, concerns and experiences can meet, be reconciled and directed to honour the purpose of the Universal Declaration. This will ensure future generations are better equipped to uphold the Declaration's universal principles. Read article. More about The World Today >> Full list of contents: Human Rights Anniversary: Without Want or Fear Louise Arbour China and Human Rights: Power to the People Kerry Brown Rights in Africa: Why Africa? Bonita C. Meyersfield Children's Rights: Young and Vulnerable Mary Buckley Islam and Human Rights: In the Name of Islam Maha Azzam United States and Human Rights: Ending Lapse into Lawlessness Kenneth Roth US Presidential Election: Choice or Echo? Robert Singh UN and EU Terrorist Blacklists: I've Got a Little List Monika Heupel Book Review: Punishing the Wicked David Bentley Ukraine and NATO: Destination Unknown James Sherr Angola Elections: Back to Ballots Indira Campos Politically-Capped Reserves: Let the Oil Flow? Daniel Litvin Securing Electricty: Blackout Bill Durodié Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:37:15 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/458/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/458/ In this issue of International Afffairs, Thomas Hegghammer traces the history of the Saudi jihadist movement. Based on primary sources and extensive fieldwork in the Kingdom, the article argues that jihadism in Saudi Arabia differs from jihadism in the Arab republics as it's driven primarily by extreme pan-Islamism and not socio-revolutionary ideology. The article also traces the outbreak - and failure - of the 2003 terrorist campaign by 'Al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula' (QAP). This campaign was made possible by the presence in 2002 of a critical mass of returnees from Afghanistan, a clever two-track strategy by Al-Qaeda, and systemic weaknesses in the Saudi security apparatus. The near-absence of violence in the Kingdom before 2003 was due to Al-Qaeda's weak infrastructure in the early 1990s and bin Laden's 1998 decision to suspend operations to preserve local networks. Now, the Saudi regime is more stable and self-confident - and therefore less inclined to democratic reform -than it has been in many years. Read article. Full list of contents: The Responsibility to Protect and the Problem of Military Intervention Alex J Bellamy Righting the Course? Humanitarian Intervention, the 'War on Terror' and the Future of Afghanistan Fatima Ayub and Sari Kouvo The Vienna Negotiations on the Final Status of Kosovo Marc Weller Iran Under Ahmadinejad: Populism and its Malcontents Ali Ansari Islamist Violence and Regime Stability in Saudi Arabia Thomas Hegghammer 'An Enemy at the Gates' or 'From Victory to Victory'? Russian Foreign Policy Andrew Monaghan Security and Democracy: The ASEAN Charter and the Dilemmas of Regionalism in South-East Asia David Martin Jones Using Negotiation to Promote Legitimacy: An Assessment of Proposals for Reforming the WTO Cecilia Albin The Dynamics of British Military Transformation Theo Farrell The End of Impunity? Lessons from Sierra Leone Gillian Wigglesworth Book Reviews Other Books Received Index of Books Reviewed Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:21:50 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/896/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/896/ 23:00, 22nd June 2008 - This international workshop was organized in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment, Conservation of Nature and Tourism of the Democratic Republic of Congo. A number of proposals for the conservation and sustainable management of the DRC's forests and for the financing of these activities were presented. The aim of the meeting was to enable wider consultation on these proposals, to discuss their feasibility and effectiveness, and to identify a roadmap for their implementation. The meeting was attended by 120 participants, with representatives of government, international agencies, academia, civil society, conservation organisations and the private sector. The meeting was financed by the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), with additional support from GTZ, the German agency for technical cooperation, and in association with the World Bank, European Commission, Belgian Development Cooperation and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This meeting was organized as part of a project to explore new models for forest management and financing in DRC. Find out more about this project - Developing Innovative Management and Financing Models for the Forests of The Democratic Republic of Congo. Atelier sur les modèles de gestion et les mécanismes de financement alternatifs pour l'utilisation durable des forêts de la République Démocratique du Congo Le Ministère de l'environnement, de la sauvegarde de la nature et du tourisme de la République démocratique du Congo a tenu un atelier international à Kinshasa du 23 au 24 juin 2008 co-organisé par Chatham House. Plusieurs propositions pour préserver et gérer durablement les forêts en RDC et financer ces activités ont été présentées. Cet atélier avait pour but de faciliter une consultation élargie sur ces propositions et étudier leur faisabilité et leur efficacité ainsi que d'identifier une feuille de route pour leur mise en oeuvre. Il y avait 120 participants des pouvoirs publics, des agences internationales, du monde de la recherche, de la société civile, des associations de sauvegarde de la nature et du secteur privé. Cette réunion a été financée par le Ministère du Développement International du Royaume-uni, avec le soutien de l'Agence allemande pour la coopération technique (GTZ) et l'appui de la Banque Mondiale, de la Commission Européenne, du Ministère belge de la Coopération et le Ministère français des Affaires Etrangères et Européennes. Cet atelier fait partie d'un projet d'étude sur les nouveaux modèles de gestion et financement de la forêt en RDC. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:28:45 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/645/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/645/ Since 2003, countries whose economies depend on the export of oil and gas have enjoyed a surge of revenue driven by rising oil prices and, in some countries, rising export volumes. The press has captured petroleum-fuelled prosperity in images of futuristic construction plans and the rocketing assets of sovereign wealth funds. However, this obscures important differences among oil and gas exporters in terms of reserves size and social development challenges. Based on a major study of twelve hydrocarbon-exporting countries, this report shows that the boom does not guarantee economic sustainability for these countries, most of which face hard policy choices over domestic consumption, development spending and rates of economic growth. The report estimates the timeframes these countries have in which to make the necessary changes and examine their prospects for success given the existing human, institutional and technical capacity, competitive advantages, infrastructure and access to capital. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:24:21 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/457/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/457/ Petroleum-fuelled prosperity is masking the challenge of oil depletion and removing the sense of urgency that is desperately needed to promote diversification in oil-exporting states. All eyes are on supply-demand dynamics instead of how these countries' economies - so linked to our own - can be sustained as oil and gas resources deplete. A new report by Chatham House says today's oil-price boom may be raising the global profile and financial clout of oil-exporting countries but their dependence on oil, (and gas) revenues has increased. This cannot continue: production will level off and eventually fall; rising energy consumption at home will reduce the amount available for export. For these countries to continue to grow, dependence on oil revenues must be reduced. The report discusses, with some pessimism, the capacity of most of these countries to reduce their dependence by developing new sources of government revenue and export earnings from the non-hydrocarbon sectors of their economies. The study estimates, under simple assumptions and various scenarios, how long each of the twelve exporting countries looked at here, would have until it must begin reducing dependence, how big the reduction should be by 2025, and when exports are likely to tail off. Strikingly, it shows that even Saudi Arabia must plan for export decline, and explains why some countries might rationally choose to keep oil in the ground, even at over $100 a barrel. The prospects for many are not that good. Only three of the twelve countries are clearly on a path of ending their dependence on oil: for most of the others, time is running out for finding sufficient alternatives to sustain current or even moderate rates of growth in the long term. Notes to Editors: 'Ending Dependence: Hard Choices for Oil-Exporting States' is written by John V Mitchell and Professor Paul Stevens from the Energy, Environment and Development Programme, Chatham House. The report looks at Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Timor Leste. More information on the Resource Depletion, Dependence and Development project can be found here. For further information please contact: Nicola Norton, Media Relations Manager +44 (0) 20 7957 5739 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:53:40 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/890/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/890/ 13:00, 16th July 2008 - This event is organized by Chatham House and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Conference agenda. Keynote speaker: Lindene Patton, Climate Product Officer, Zurich Financial Services Other speaker highlights: Alexis Livanos, Northrop Grumman Sir David King, University of Oxford Barend Van Bergen, KPMG Mike Keebaugh,Raytheon Peter Stott, UK Met Office Trevor Maynard, Lloyd's Shree Khare, Risk Management Solutions Giovanni Rum, Group on Earth Observations Greg Withee, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Man Cheung, Marsh Ltd Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:53:14 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/887/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/887/ 10:00, 11th July 2008 - This is an Energy, Environment and Development Programme and Africa Programme briefing on the G8/MEM meeting. Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk is a lawyer and political scientist by training. He has served as a Member of the National Parliament since 1990. Before assuming the role of South Africa's Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in 2004, he was at the helm of the Western Cape Province in his role as Premier. Under the leadership of Minister van Schalkwyk, South Africa recently assumed the Presidency of AMCEN (African Ministerial Conference on the Environment) for the next two years. He has participated in all G20 Gleneagles Dialogues since their inception in 2005. He is the South African President's personal representative to the Major Economies Meetings and plays an active role in UN climate negotiations. Minister van Schalkwyk will be attending the G8/MEM meeting in Hokkaido, Japan, on 9 July and is therefore ideally positioned to reflect on the outcomes of the G8 and MEM as well as the implications for the next 18 months countdown to Copenhagen. There will be an open reception at 10.30. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:06:51 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/641/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/641/ Download Paper here (French version) This paper considers the challenges that need to be addressed within the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) forest sector if innovative models for the management and financing of the country's forests are to be successfully implemented. These challenges include those related to broader forest governance, i.e. the policy, legal and institutional conditions. It also considers the conditions required to facilitate forest business and enterprises. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:13:12 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/638/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/638/ The paper focuses on the connections between: depletion policy including the willingness of some key petroleum-exporting countries to expand production in the medium to long term; development policies linked to depletion, especially the difficulties of diversifying sources of income to replace revenue from petroleum as production ceases to grow, or declines, as a result of natural resource depletion or lack of markets; the creation, use and management of sovereign 'heritage' or 'stabilization' funds by many petroleum-exporting countries which are earning more petroleum revenue than they consider it prudent or possible to spend or invest in development of the non-petroleum sectors of their economies. More about the Research Depletion, Dependence and Development project >> Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:25:33 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/456/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/news/view/-/id/456/ As President Sarkozy prepares to reinvigorate the regional arrangement between the EU and the Mediterranean - the Barcelona Process - Claire Spencer argues in Europe and the Mediterranean: Eyeing Other Shores, that the project is flawed having failed 'to escape its underlying logic: that it is a European initiative'. As such, the process has been designed to meet Europe's own regional objectives rather than foster cooperation and integration. It is not clear why there is a need for another regional Mediterranean Partnership. The slow results of existing efforts suggest the current framework could be part of the problem as much as the solution. And yet, President Sarkozy has gone to great lengths in promoting his new framework for regional cooperation, soon to be adopted by the EU. With France leading the union's initial launch and project selection, there are grave suspicions that it will be used to advance French commercial interests under an EU umbrella. To survive, the scheme must be flexible and new mechanisms will be needed to overcome the deficiencies of the Barcelona Process itself, as well as its new addition. It must be visible through the direct engagement of those most immediately motivated by shared interests on both sides of the Mediterranean. More about The World Today >> Full list of contents: European Union Treaty: Trust the PeopleRobin Shepherd Ireland No Vote: Ways Out of the Irish Puzzle Thomas Legge Europe and the Mediterranean: Eyeing Other Shores Claire Spencer South Africa: Fundamental Failures Merle Lipton Book Review: Good for Government Alex Vines Small Arms: Gun Control Eric Berman The Gulf in the G8 Agenda: Top Table Time? Vanessa Rossi and Ruth Davis Saudi Arabia's Foreign Policy: Discreet Persuasion Neil Partrick Energy for Asia: Chasing Pipe Dreams Elizabeth Mills Burma after the Cyclone: Making a Disaster Out of a Cyclone Ashley South Analysing North Korea: Big Wheel Turning Rudiger Frank Profile - Sir Richard Dearlove: Overestimating Al Qaeda?Sean Armstrong Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:44:40 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1787/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/twt/archive/view/-/id/1787/ Oil people call them pipe dreams: plans to transport energy across vast distances to places where it is needed most. That need is clear in Pakistan and India, but can the obstacles be overcome at this time of high prices, to turn the recurring dreams into reality? Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:43:13 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/874/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/events/view/-/id/874/ 11:30, 30th June 2008 - Climate change involves three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, environmental and social. The Secretary-General will argue that all stakeholders should be involved in dialogue to address the challenges posed by climate change and to reach viable solutions. He will emphasise the importance of having a long-term perspective on how our actions today will affect future generations. This event is held in association with Bloomberg. E-TICKETS (WITH DIRECTIONS) WILL BE SENT ON FRIDAY 27 JUNE AND MUST BE PRESENTED ON ARRIVAL. Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:35:27 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/629/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/629/ Despite technological and economic advances, some two billion people are without electric light and scientific evidence suggests our use of energy is upsetting climatic systems with grave consequences. Something is seriously wrong with how energy is managed. This Working Paper looks at how we manage energy, who does what and why. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:39:26 +0100 http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/626/ http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk/publications/papers/view/-/id/626/ The use of public procurement policy by consumer states to create protected markets for legal and sustainable timber is helping to exclude the products of illegal logging, thereby encouraging the legal and sustainable production of timber. Many countries already possess some form of green procurement policy into which criteria for legal and sustainable timber can easily be fitted. In general no new legislation is needed, so this offers a relatively rapid route to tackling imports of illegal timber. Nine countries currently possess some form of timber procurement policy at central government level. Although they are all very recent in implementation, the evidence already suggests that they are having a positive effect on increasing market share for verified legal and sustainable timber. However, the adoption of different criteria and coverage of products risks making it more difficult for exporters to provide supplies of timber; some degree of technical harmonization would be desirable, and seems likely. The inclusion of requirements for legal and sustainable timber in building standards provides another route for promoting these products. At present, however, the points-based systems that these standards are based on usually encourage, rather than require, sustainable timber. Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:56:07 +0100