This Discussion Paper is an extension of Global Witness’ work on the role of natural resources in funding conflict. As energy availability declines, the world faces an increased risk of conflict – the ultimate war over natural resources – as powerful industrialised countries engage in an escalating competition for energy supplies. Such competition will put at risk hard won natural resource governance reforms such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), one of the keys to creating government accountability around extractive industry revenues. The scale of the impending crisis of energy supplies is little understood amongst policy experts, let alone properly acknowledged by politicians, and there are no effective measures being put in place to address the situation. Furthermore, the resultant geopolitical and economic impacts of a declining energy supply, will likely invade the political space required to address the climate crisis.
It is authored by Global Witness, and published by Global Witness and the Heinrich Böll Foundation. It will be distributed by the Heinrich Böll Foundation at the United Nations Climate Change Meeting in Bali - for more information about the Bali conference, please see: http://unfccc.int/meetings/cop_13/items/4049.php.