If we are serious about intergenerational equity and poverty reduction, then a serious reorientation of energy policy, as well as business and consumer expectations, is called for.

Respect for laws, human rights agreements, environmental standards
Transnational corporations and other business enterprises must respect national laws as well as international human rights agreements and environmental standards. They must obtain the free and informed consent of local communities before commencing their activities. The right of the local population to decline energy projects which would harm their interests must be respected. Oil companies should align themselves with the “Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative” (EITI) and publish all company payments and contracts with governments. They must ensure that their activities neither provoke nor aggravate conflict.

Transparency
Government development policy must emphatically support transparency initiatives such as EITI. The revenues from energy exploitation would thus be made public and - with the involvement of civil society - utilised to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development. Guarantees must also be put in place that energy extraction will not lead to further poverty and environmental damage. Neither state-owned nor private banks should fund any natural resource extraction projects before a comprehensive socio-economic and ecological cost-benefit analysis has been carried out, with a positive conclusion.

Renewable fuels are not a panacea
The EU, USA and other countries have set themselves ambitious targets in order to meet a growing proportion of their appetite for transport fuel with renewable resources, so-called “biofuels”. The current formulation of sustainability criteria to allow certification of biofuels must prevent or revert undesirable developments. The cultivation of energy crops must not compete with food production, lead to human rights abuses or accelerate the destruction of human living spaces and ecosystems. For instance, palm oil produced in Indonesia and Colombia under current conditions should definitely not be certified as “sustainable” and imported into the EU. As the above problems with energy production clearly show, it would be unsustainable to replace fossil fuels with biofuels on a one to one basis, because there is not enough arable land to accommodate them.

Energy revolution and reduction
Instead of biofuel quotas, the path to sustainability must predominantly be paved with an “energy revolution” and a reduction in consumption. This means massive investment in more efficient technologies and the expansion of renewable energies in Germany and the EU. But transport-related and regulatory instruments are also needed to boost energy-saving. These can include: expanding public transport, imposing speed limits, setting CO2 emission ceilings for motor vehicles, providing economic incentives for fuel-efficient cars and taxing aviation fuel. Biomass can play an important part in establishing sustainable energy systems. However, in each case the most energy-efficient form should be used, because biomass can be up to three times more efficient and cost-effective when used for heat generation or combined heat and power systems. Plants, plant remnants and liquid manure should therefore be used directly in decentralised facilities located close by, and not converted into other fuels at considerable cost.

Sustainable lifestyles
For consumers, forgoing energy-intensive products does not necessarily entail restrictions to freedom and opportunity. On the contrary, a more sustainable lifestyle can even mean a better quality of life (e.g. locally-produced, organic food), as well as material savings (lower electricity and petrol costs). The Klima-Allianz Appeal of 2007 , the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU) report of 2003 “World in Transition – Towards Sustainable Energy Systems”, and the Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) Special Report on “Climate Change Mitigation by Biomass" of July 2007 contain a wealth of ideas.