Energy Diplomacy in the Era of Energy Transition

Abstract

The development of international relations after the 1973 oil crisis was accompanied by the emergence of such phenomena and concepts as global and regional energy security, energy security of states, foreign energy policy and energy diplomacy. Institutionalization and development of mechanisms ensuring energy security – including global energy security – occurred and continues to occur under the conditions of dominance of hydrocarbon fossil fuels in the world energy balance, as well as in the context of energy consumption worldwide. The priorities of its provision at the global, regional and state levels were and are the security of demand, supply and transit of hydrocarbon raw materials, and the diversification of energy sources. After signing the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, efforts are being made to accelerate the low-carbon transformation of the world economy and the pace of the global energy transition. This involves mechanisms for responsible investment, carbon regulation, greenhouse gas emissions management (climate management); uses a variety of socially significant interpretations of ongoing climate change. These processes are increasingly determining the foreign energy policy of states, international energy diplomacy and influencing the previously formed mechanisms for ensuring energy security. The article is aimed at generalization and systematization of the ongoing changes in the activities of both traditional international centers and institutes of global energy policy, and relatively new international platforms in the subject area under consideration, primarily the Conferences of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and their impact on energy policy and energy diplomacy.