Public defense Joseph Wilde-Ramsing

On Wednesday 8^th of May Joseph Wilde-Ramsing defend his thesis on Quality kilowatts? A Normative-Empirical Analysis of Corporate Responsibility for Sustainable Electricity Provision in the Global South.

Promotors: Prof.dr. J.Th.A. Bressers and Prof.dr. W.M. Lafferty

Assistant Promotor: Dr. M.J. Arentsen
Time: 14.45 hr.
Location: Lecture room 4, Waaier

The issue of sustainable development in electricity provision has never been more relevant. Billions of people around the world live without access to basic electricity services, while the insatiable demand for fossil fuel-based power generation in industrialized nations and emerging economies contributes to a rapidly warming climate. Sustainable electricity provision (SEP) is set to be a key environmental and

developmental issue of the 21st century.

Despite the urgency, no clearly and concisely-formulated standards for SEP currently exist. There is also relatively little empirical knowledge as to the degree to which transnational corporations (TNCs) – increasingly active in electricity provision in the Global South – rely on international norms in developing policies related to SEP and implementing those policies in host countries. Given the variable impact TNCs have had on sustainable development, it is important to investigate how such variation comes into play for the electricity sector.

This study explores how individual TNCs conceptualize, operationalize, and implement norms for SEP – in other words, whether and how “quality kilowatts” are being conceived and implemented. Through systematic normative-empirical analysis of the policies of five case study TNCs headquartered in different regions of the world – USA, Europe, Scandinavia, China, and South Africa – as well as these TNCs’ practice on the ground in six different host countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, the study documents a significant, globally-observable discrepancy between what is recommended through international normative standards and TNCs’ actual behavior on the ground in host-country contexts. This phenomenon highlights a major weakness of voluntary international standards addressing corporate responsibility for sustainable development.

By providing improved understanding of how electricity TNCs from around the globe take up and implement international normative standards for SEP – and by drawing lessons that can improve normative and regulatory frameworks at the local, regional, and international level – the study aims to improve the quality and contribution to sustainable development of electricity provision in the Global South.

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<< MB Home Home Staff Education Research Studies & Reports (pdf) Publication List Partners Contact Sitemap Search	Public defense Joseph Wilde-Ramsing On Wednesday 8^th of May Joseph Wilde-Ramsing defend his thesis on Quality kilowatts? A Normative-Empirical Analysis of Corporate Responsibility for Sustainable Electricity Provision in the Global South. Promotors: Prof.dr. J.Th.A. Bressers and Prof.dr. W.M. Lafferty Assistant Promotor: Dr. M.J. Arentsen Time: 14.45 hr. Location: Lecture room 4, Waaier The issue of sustainable development in electricity provision has never been more relevant. Billions of people around the world live without access to basic electricity services, while the insatiable demand for fossil fuel-based power generation in industrialized nations and emerging economies contributes to a rapidly warming climate. Sustainable electricity provision (SEP) is set to be a key environmental and developmental issue of the 21st century. Despite the urgency, no clearly and concisely-formulated standards for SEP currently exist. There is also relatively little empirical knowledge as to the degree to which transnational corporations (TNCs) – increasingly active in electricity provision in the Global South – rely on international norms in developing policies related to SEP and implementing those policies in host countries. Given the variable impact TNCs have had on sustainable development, it is important to investigate how such variation comes into play for the electricity sector. This study explores how individual TNCs conceptualize, operationalize, and implement norms for SEP – in other words, whether and how “quality kilowatts” are being conceived and implemented. Through systematic normative-empirical analysis of the policies of five case study TNCs headquartered in different regions of the world – USA, Europe, Scandinavia, China, and South Africa – as well as these TNCs’ practice on the ground in six different host countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, the study documents a significant, globally-observable discrepancy between what is recommended through international normative standards and TNCs’ actual behavior on the ground in host-country contexts. This phenomenon highlights a major weakness of voluntary international standards addressing corporate responsibility for sustainable development. By providing improved understanding of how electricity TNCs from around the globe take up and implement international normative standards for SEP – and by drawing lessons that can improve normative and regulatory frameworks at the local, regional, and international level – the study aims to improve the quality and contribution to sustainable development of electricity provision in the Global South.