Energy: Policy, Legal and Social-Economic Issues Under the Dimensions of Sustainability and Security

Abstract

Energy is a crucial issue for mankind. Especially in modern times, energy has been a factor of economic development and wealth. Today energy is strictly related with the notion of empowerment since energy allows any kind of contemporary life for humans: entertainment, work and protection. Consequently energy security is a top priority for national policies all over the world. Problems arising from climate change and depletion of natural resources are increasing the competition and collaboration among States around the energy production and supply. Sustainability of energy systems is then intertwined with the theme of security. Designed for scholar of different disciplines, the book encompasses several point of view about the different (although partially converging) approach to energy in European Union and Asian countries, considering the ever closer social and economic relations between Europe and Asia.

The work also incorporates the state of affair at the transnational stage that originates from the international legal framework, mainly trade law, environmental law and investment law.

Even through rapid changes about the political choices in the turmoil of the international arena, we believe that relations between Europe and Asia and the long term strategy on energy can be understood through the lens of three themes: the global demand and the policy questions; the level of trade under the international regulation of environment; and the role of innovation for the sustainability of energy systems. These three themes are developed in the three corresponding parts of the work.

Keywords: Energy, Policy, Law, Technology, Knowledge, Europe, Russia, India, China, Asia, Eurasian, Turkey, Environment, Emissions Trading, Central Asia, South-East Asia, Sustainability, Energy Investments, Innovation, Scales, Paradigms, Governance, Climate Change, Security, Water, Energy Charter Treaty

JEL Classification: Q40, Q42, Q43, Q48, K30, K32, K33, O13, Q20, Q32