This study analyses the results of renewable energy auctions globally. It provides an overview of the most recent renewable energy auctions, and of analyses trends in auction prices and designs. The analysis is meant to provide policymakers with an understanding of the dynamics of auctions to support their design in particular and to make informed choices of policy instruments in general.

This paper describes the relationship between renewable energy and sustainable development. In particular, it demonstrates how supporting the transition to 100% renewable energy is both a necessary condition and a driver for sustainable development that leaves no one behind. It examines how a transition to 100% renewable energy can contribute to the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and can be directly relevant to many of the 169 targets.

In this report, successful entrepreneurs in energy share insights into what they have learned and what has held them back. A list of best practices and lessons learned is provided that focuses on approaches with the highest volumes or innovation dynamics, namely solar lanterns, improved cooking stoves, solar home systems, clean energy microgrids and solar irrigation pumps. The report focuses on market-based approaches. It is intended for entrepreneurs as well as large companies, investors, donors, and governments.

The 2017 edition of the Poor People's Energy Outlook considers how to best finance national integrated energy access plans for Bangladesh, Kenya and Togo based on the 2016 outlook’s analysis. The report looks at the mix of technologies and funding required to achieve national and global energy access goals, and the roles of civil society and the private and public sectors in making this a reality.

This paper is part of Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) Energy Finance’s work-stream on market design and incorporates work already published as part of the Energy Transitions Commission, and new concepts presented as part of the Eurelectric Market Design 2050 program, among others. The paper highlights at least four major problems of incremental refinement to existing market models, and the authors proposes a two-market solution.

On May 8–9 2017, at the sixth meeting of the San Giorgio Group (SGG) in Venice, Climate Policy Initiative brought together financial institutions actively engaged in low-emissions finance for frank discussions on the most pressing policy and investment issues related to scaling up climate action. A series of interviews were filmed during the 2017 SGG with representatives of governments and financial institutions to discuss financing needs, opportunities, and trends as countries work to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. This web page contains the video interviews.

This study seeks to understand why the past decade of alternative fuel policies has not led to commercialization of advanced alternative fuels, and how we can apply lessons learned to developing proposals for fuel policy over the coming decade. The authors first discuss key economic barriers that impede the commercialization of advanced alternative fuels.

This publication provides a baseline understanding of gender equality and women’s empowerment in East African Communities (EAC). It focuses on the current status of women in the energy sector and decision-making positions in East Africa, and it presents the main barriers to and achievements of gender equality and women’s empowerment in EAC.

This report considers various current and forthcoming options to increase the uptake of renewables as one possible way to reduce industry sector energy and process carbon dioxide emissions. The main finding of the report is that the recent rapid cost reductions in solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind power may enable new options for greening the industry, either directly from electricity or through the production of hydrogen-rich chemicals and fuels. Simultaneously, electrification offers new flexibility options to better integrate large shares of variable renewables into power grids.

Each year the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves invites organizations working in the sector to share their annual sales and distribution numbers. These self-reported data are compiled and used to model sector progress towards increasing access to and adoption of cleaner, more efficient cookstoves and fuels. This report presents data for 2017.

This paper focuses on a study carried out to evaluate the impact of solar PV installations on improving access to electricity at primary health centers (PHCs) and thereby improving health service delivery in Chhattisgarh, India. The evaluation was intended to: (1) understand the synergy between electricity access and delivery of healthcare services, (2) evaluate the impact of installed solar PV systems on addressing gaps in access to electricity and (3i) assess the gaps in the transition to higher standards of primary healthcare.

This study aims to analyse the scale and scope of investments in low-carbon technologies in power generation, transport, buildings and industry (including heating and cooling) that are needed to facilitate an energy transition that would be consistent with limiting the rise in global temperature to well below two degrees Celsius (2°C), as set out in the Paris Agreement, and in a cost-effective manner. The findings of this report will inform G20 work on energy and climate in the context of the 2017 German G20 presidency.

This edition, the third edition of REthinking Energy presents evidence and a narrative of how renewable energy is being produced and used. A further boost has come from commitments by the private sector, including companies such as Google, Apple, and Facebook, which are committing to procure renewable energy for their operations, while a vibrant small and medium-size enterprise sector in emerging economies is pioneering new and successful models bringing sustainable energy to the energy poor.

Electricity demand is expected to more than double to 2,000 terawatt-hours up to 2040 for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Most of this growth comes from residential and commercial buildings, mostly for cooling, such that by 2040, air-conditioning could account for up to 40% of Asean’s overall electricity demand. The author argues that a crisis can be avoided if the region adopts more efficient technologies and supports a culture change in cooling consumption.

This annual IPEEC report presents the organization’s energy efficiency accomplishments in the areas of appliances and equipment, buildings, industry, power and transport.

The objective of this study is to analyse the scale and scope of investments in low-carbon technologies in power generation, transport, buildings and industry (including heating and cooling) that are needed to facilitate an energy transition in a cost-effective manner while also working towards other policy goals. The findings of this report are intended to inform G20 work on energy and climate in the context of the 2017 German G20 presidency.

The research summarized in this report is expected to help development professionals better understand how electricity utilities can increase the labor market participation of women in the energy sector. The data in the report facilitate the creation of company-specific interventions to improve women’s career prospects while improving the quality and cost of electricity services. And, the development hypothesis grounding this policy work suggests that mitigating gender disparities can increase operational efficiencies that will ultimately bring greater value to utility companies.

The study seeks to set the stage for the creation and adoption of an ECOWAS regional legal instrument for conducting gender assessments of energy infrastructure projects, including extraction of fuel sources, storage, generation, transmission and distribution of energy, whether from solar, wind, biomass, fossil, geothermal, ocean, nuclear or hydro sources.

The authors of this report identify potential pathways to decarbonization of Indian Railways by 2030 and examine their cost-effectiveness and feasibility. For non-traction segment (energy use for the supporting infrastructure), they found that the decarbonization pathway of captive generation at an accelerated rate of decarbonization is even more cost-effective than in the traction segment.

The Study covers regions in: Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze the water, energy, and food nexus and regions of study, nexus keywords and stakeholders in order to understand the current state of nexus research.

This report traces the debate, analysis and action on the water, food and energy security nexus. Considering the complex interactions of these three resources will require new instructional capacity in both industrialized and developing countries. For the nexus approach to achieve the twin goals of human well-being and green growth, sustainability must move center-stage, with attention given to ecosystem services.

The paper introduces a framework and set of methodologies that define the linkages between the interconnected resources of water, energy and food, and enable explicit corresponding quantifications. The paper presents a new water–energy–food (WEF) Nexus modelling tool (WEF Nexus Tool 2.0) based on that framework which offers a common platform for scientists and policy-makers to evaluate scenarios and identify sustainable national resource allocation strategies. The tool is applied to a case study focusing on Qatar, a hyper-arid Gulf country.

International water law, which regulates the uses of international watercourses that are situated partly in different States, is a highly topical sector of law. In 2014, two conventions covering the subject matter entered into force globally. At the same time, a water-food-energy nexus has become part and parcel of the development canon that emphasizes the importance of the complex relationship between water, energy and food.

The water-energy-food nexus (“nexus”) is promoted as an approach to look at the linkages between water, energy and food. The articles of Water’s Special Issue “Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Large Asian River Basins” look at the applicability of the nexus approach in different regions and rivers basins in Asia. The articles provide practical examples of the various roles and importance of water-energy-food linkages, but also discuss the theoretical aspects related to the nexus.

This article provides information on solutions for the water-food-energy nexus, reflects on nexus interventions at the policy level (including a case study), taking a river basin approach to managing water across boundaries, and introducing nexus thinking in achieving sustainable development goals.

This work provides a comprehensive analysis of the interdependence of water and energy in Saudi Arabia, including collecting data to map out energy and water consumption across the Kingdom.

Security measures of three resources; water, energy and food are analyzed for thirty two countries in the Asia Pacific region which are faced to Pacific Ocean, in terms of amounts of the resource, self-production, and diversity of sources of each resource. Diversity for all the three resources is also analyzed using surface water and groundwater for water sources; hydro power, geothermal power, solar, and biomass for energy; and cereals, vegetable, fruit, meat, and fish for food.

Rising global population numbers and economic development could likely cause an increase in natural resource demand over the coming decades, while at the same time climate change might lead to lower overall water availability. The result could be an increased competition for water resources mainly in water-stressed regions of the world in the future.

These personal reflections are on water resources and food security.

Scarce water resources of MENA countries are under multiple stressors: population growth, growing economies, land use changes, changing lifestyles or climatic variability. The vulnerability of such resources is often analyzed using simple, sector-specific indicators. This study develops a holistic country-based vulnerability assessment of water resources using an integrated index. This Country Vulnerability Index of Water Resources (CVIW) considers cross-sectoral linkages as a way to mitigate vulnerability.

The articles in this special issue examine the critical nexus of electricity, water, and climate, emphasizing connections among resources; the prospect of increasing vulnerabilities of water resources and electricity generation in a changing climate; and the opportunities for research to inform integrated energy and water policy and management measures aimed at reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience. The articles characterize several major themes emerging from this research and highlight some of the uptake of this work in both scientific and public spheres.

This paper analyzes the dependency of urban inhabitants on the resource water for food consumption, by means of Dutch cities. This paper found that in extremely urbanized municipalities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, people eat more meat and cereals and less potatoes than in other Dutch municipalities. Their current water footprint (WF) related to food consumption is therefore higher (3245l/cap/day) than in strongly urbanized cities (3126l/cap/day).

Given the multidimensional and complex nature of the nexus, a transdisciplinary approach to knowledge development through co-production is needed to timely and effectively inform the decision making processes to build societal resilience to these shocks going beyond the sectorality of current research practice.

The USDA Office of the Chief Economist Climate Change Program Office webpage provides food security and related information.

The complex relationships within the water-energy-food security nexus tend to be place-specific, increasing the importance of identifying transferable principles to facilitate implementation of a nexus approach. This paper aims to contribute transferable principles by using global model data and concepts to illustrate and analyze the water history of Central Asia. This approach builds on extensive literature about Central Asia and global change as well as recent advances in global water modeling.

A number of frameworks have been used to study the water-food-energy nexus without consideration of the role of institutions in mediating environmental outcomes. This report aims to start filling the gap by combining insights from the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework and value chain analysis. Specifically food, energy and water value chains as networks of action situations (NAS) where actors' decisions depend not only on the institutional structure of a particular situation but also on the decisions made in related situations.

The scarcity and cost of water worldwide, along with water management practices within Europe, are highlighted in this paper. The heavy dependence of energy generation on water and the similar dependence of water treatment and distribution on energy, collectively termed the water–energy nexus, is detailed. A summary of the recently launched ISO14046 Water Footprint Standard along with other benchmarking measures are outlined. In addition, a case history of managing water using the Energy Management Standard ISO50001 is discussed in detail.

This paper analyzes the relationship between the production of agricultural foods (cereals and vegetable oils) and the production of energy by using food. The observed increase in economic activities that use energy has had an impulse in the energy industry with higher prices. These prices make profitable the biofuel production, and this encourage the use of cereals for biofuel production, affecting the whole food chain.

This is an illustrated for the case of the Aral Sea Basin (ASB) in Central Asia, where surface and groundwater supplies heavily depend on pumping and thus on energy availability. The findings underlined the over estimations of optimal water uses by a hydro-economic model that neglects energy constraints. Moreover, geographical conditions have affected the changes in optimal ratios of surface and groundwater uses and water distributions across the river basin when energy restrictions are taken into account.

This study (1) reviews freshwater use concepts as they relate to seafood production, (2) provides three cases to highlight the particular water use concerns for aquaculture and (3) outlines future directions to integrate seafood into the broader food-water nexus discussion. By revisiting water use concepts through a focus on seafood production systems, we highlight the key water use processes that should be considered for seafood production and offer a fresh perspective on the analysis of freshwater use in food systems more broadly.

This article explores the role of soil in bridging the food security gap, with a special focus on North Africa. It also makes a call for more research investment in fundamental soils and water research in order to secure and maintain the roles of healthy soil for the to benefit of global economic security.

The links between, water security and food security are shown to be important in Romania. In agreement with the experts and considering the strategic relevance of these aspects, this report aims to stress more on the importance of investment in water infrastructure in the rural areas of Romania, to achieve the water security required for a sustainable agri-food and rural development. Highlighted, in this report are directions of integrated water management in view of a green economy.

This paper locates the emergence of the 'water-food-energy nexus' discourse as a step in the progression of the 'development versus environment' debate, which came into focus at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The dominant water management paradigm after Rio was not the approach of Agenda 21, the Rio Programme of Action (UNCED, 1992) but loosely based on the outcome of the Dublin International Conference on Water and the Environment (ICWE, 1992).

This study explores processes that enable effective policies and practices for managing the links between water, energy, and food. Three case studies are assessed at different scales in the Mekong River basin, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. There are considerable opportunities for improving outcomes for sustainable development by finding solutions that accommodate multiple objectives in the nexus.

This paper presents a critical review of nexus approaches and identify potential linkages with sustainable livelihoods theory and practice, to deepen the understanding of the interrelated dynamics between human populations and the natural environment. Building upon this review, the concept of ‘environmental livelihood security’ was explored, which encompasses a balance between natural resource supply and human demand on the environment to promote sustainability – and develop an integrated nexus-livelihoods framework for examining the environmental livelihood security of a system.

As the world’s largest multilateral source of financing for water in developing countries, the World Bank is working closely with partners to achieve “A Water-Secure World for All,” by investing in water solutions that enable universal access, promote water security, and build resilient societies.

The Pinios river basin is a major agricultural area in Greece, which faces environmental issues with water scarcity and nutrient pollution. Recent Earth Observation satellite data and ground truth information were combined to produce an updated land use map, focusing on irrigated crop areas. A process-based hydrological model (SWAT) was set up using the produced land use map. The model was calibrated and validated using observed streamflows and nutrient concentrations at selected gauging stations. Four irrigation and nutrient management practices related to resource efficiency (i.e.

USAID is at the forefront of this water-energy-food security “nexus” approach. The Agency is working with local populations to promote smarter water and energy use, developing cutting-edge fuel-efficient technologies to irrigate crops, and exploring resource-efficient agricultural production methods. This integration is crucial to USAID’s work to usher in a sustainable future.

Representing agricultural systems explicitly in Earth system models is important for understanding the water-energy-food nexus under climate change.The study applied Version 4.5 of the Community Land Model (CLM) at a 0.125 degree resolution to provide the first county-scale validation of the model in simulating crop yields over the Conterminous United States (CONUS). This study focused on corn and soybean that are both important grain crops and biofuel feedstocks (corn for bioethanol; soybean for biodiesel).

The water, energy and food-security nexus approach put forward by the Bonn2011 Conference highlights the need for an integrative approach towards issues of water, energy and food, and puts them under a general framework of security. While acknowledging the need for urgent solutions in terms of sustainability, the nexus approach, at the same time, makes a normative claim to tackle the needs of the poorest parts of the world population.

In the Coastal California Basin (CCB) aquifer system, the conflicts in the water-energy-food nexus are apparent because of intensive agricultural practices that have contributed to chronic nitrate− loading to groundwater. Evaluates the scale-dependent relations among source, transport, and attenuation factors that control nonpoint source nitrate− contamination in recently recharged CCB groundwater.

Climate change will have far-reaching impacts on crop, livestock and fisheries production, and will change the prevalence of crop pests. Many of these impacts are already measurable. Climate impact studies are dominated by those on crop yields despite the limitations of climate-crop modelling, with very little attention paid to more systems components of cropping, let alone other dimensions of food security.

This website discusses Peru's GHG emissions, energy consumption, and water utilities. As Peru struggles to secure a reliable supply to meet user’s demand, more frequent and severe natural disasters pose an increasing burden on water utilities. Differences in altitudes require enormous amounts of energy to distribute the water and lead to high energy costs.

This paper focused on a discussion whether developing bio-energy will threaten food security in China. It constructed a general equilibrium analysis model based on demand-supply theory. The model contains two types of bio-energy resources and different factors influencing crops demand and supply.

The WEF Nexus builds on the integrated water resources management and introduces an holistic, trans-disciplinary, inclusive multi-stakeholder platform for resource allocation. The nexus platform allows the identification of local and site specific tradeoffs and hotspots, which facilitate dialogue among stakeholders. From among those hotspots, the role of soils in global water and food security, and the vital function of soil as a structured, dynamic, natural, organized system and of green water to food and water securities is explored.

This report provides a preliminary analysis of water management within a critical national context. Pakistan's Water-Security Nexus is the focus of this report.

Energy Water Food Nexus (EWFN) presents a valuable approach to achieving food security with a particular focus on sustainably balancing the growing demand for food with the constrained production capacity enabling supply streams. Three main pathways to overcome food security challenges and the role of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) were identified: employing sustainable production methods in agriculture, changing diets, and reducing waste in all stages of the food chain.

The changing climate and concerns over food security are prompting a new look at the supply chain reliability of products derived from agriculture, and the potential role of contract farming as a mechanism to address climate and price risk while contributing toward crop diversification and water use efficiency is also emerging. This study provides a simple and stylized model for farmers’ decision making process for crop planning and water management in the contract farming context.

The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze the water, energy, and food nexus and regions of study, nexus keywords and stakeholders in order to understand the current state of nexus research.

This report traces the debate, analysis and action on the water, food and energy (WFE) security nexus. Considering the complex interactions of these three resources will require new institutional capacity in both industrialized and developing countries. For the nexus approach to achieve the twin goals of human well-being and green growth, sustainability must move center-stage, with attention given to ecosystem services.

The Pacific Institute is a global water think tank that combines science-based thought leadership with active outreach to influence local, national and international efforts in developing sustainable water policies.The Pacific Institute conducts research on various facets of the water-energy nexus to better understand the barriers and opportunities for integration and to develop tools to promote integrated water and energy policy and decision-making.

This report provides overview information about the nexus between water and energy and provides a summary of state legislation addressing this issue.

This website examines why the water-food-energy nexus is central to sustainable development. Demand for all three is increasing, driven by a rising global population, rapid urbanization, changing diets and economic growth. Agriculture is the largest consumer of the world’s freshwater resources, and more than one-quarter of the energy used globally is expended on food production and supply.

The Energy-Water Nexus Crosscut Team (originally called the Water-Energy Tech Team) was formed in late 2012 to address these issues. In June 2014, DOE published The Water-Energy Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities, which laid the foundation for subsequent work for the Department. In 2015, DOE hosted an Energy-Water Nexus Roundtable Series that engaged stakeholders from industry, academia, utilities, state and local governments, National Laboratories, and other federal agencies in focused discussions about the energy-water nexus.

This paper presents the case for soil and water conservation combined with waste recycling strategies in a desert type climate healthcare environment, which is based on the need for Abu Dhabi to decrease desalinated potable water consumption and increase its waste recycling rate to reduce environmental impact.

This report provides an overview of food security and nutrition.

​This paper reviews current practices by national and subnational governments around the world that aim to increase consumer awareness, understanding, and exposure to electric vehicles.

This report has been developed with the purpose of designing and proposing scenarios and mechanisms through which the goal of 100 percent RE in electricity generation by 2050 can be achieved. It details among other things the plausible electricity generation mix as well as financial interventions required for Sri Lanka to achieve its goal while highlighting the numerous technical and economic challenges the country is likely to face on its road to a 100 percent RE power sector

This report discusses Pacific island countries (PICs) need to invest in renewable energy development to fight climate change and rid their reliance on fossil fuels that cause a substantial drain on their gross domestic product every year.