Extract from review by Randall Spalding-Fecher in Climate Policy 9 (2009) pp. 334–336:
"At the launch of Harald Winkler's latest book, South Africa's Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, introduced the work by saying, 'there are two types of academics: one that takes simple ideas and makes them sound very complicated, and the other that takes complex ideas and explains them in a way that is simple to understand. Professor Winkler is one of the latter.' Winkler has demonstrated this in his new book, which sets out to answer the question of whether national energy policies that
both promote local sustainable development and also reduce greenhouse gases can make a major contribution to climate change mitigation, using South Africa as a case study. This analysis could not come at a more appropriate time, when the international climate change negotiations, and in particular the role that actions by developing countries will play in the overall climate agreement architecture, are at the centre of international politics and economic policy."
Extract from review by Roberto Schaeffer (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) in Energy Policy 2009:
"Cleaner Energy Cooler Climate: Developing Sustainable Energy Solutions for South Africa is a book by University of Cape Town Energy Research Centre professor Harald Winkler that provides a very innovative and strategic approach to climate policy, with local development objectives as its starting point. The main idea of this book was first introduced by the South African delegation as a Working Paper in the Convention Dialogue of the UNFCCC negotiations in November 2006, with Harald Winkler being one of its authors (UNFCCC, 2006). The book is a great read for anyone interested in the sustainable development and climate change debates, and how they interact with each other. Although South Africa, the home country of the author is used as a case study, the implications of the ideas presented in his work spread far beyond the African continent."
Professor Mohan Munasinghe, Vice Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and co-laureate 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on climate change
"Recently, significant progress has been made in integrating climate change policies into sustainable development strategy, and Harald Winkler's book is an excellent example that applies this promising approach to both energy policy in South Africa and global climate negotiations. This clear and concise volume is a must-read for students, researchers, negotiators and policymakers looking for practical solutions."
Professor Anton Eberhard, Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town
"South Africa faces intractable and complex choices around energy investments that will restore supply security without further prejudicing environmental sustainability. Professor Harald Winkler makes a seminal contribution to this debate through quantifying the options and providing evidence-based reasoning and conclusions."
Professor Emilio La Rovere, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro,and Director, SouthSouthNorth mitigation team
"Contrary to the prevailing view in the North, developing countries are already contributing much to curb the build-up of the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global climate change. This book shows how South Africa can embark on a climate-friendly sustainable development path, carefully examining a number of energy supply and demand options."
