The summary of the joint conference on Energy & Climate change in Poland is now available.
Joint Conference on Energy & Climate Change
Over 250 participants were present when BDF together with demosEuropa and the Danish Embassy in Warsaw held its joint conference on Energy & Climate change. Polish Minister of the Environment and EU Commissioner Hübner were among the speakers. A Press Release and a short summary are available now.
The overall messages from the conference were the following:
- Denmark and Poland are committed to work closely on facilitating the COP 14 and COP 15 meetings
- It is crucial to reach a new binding global agreement based on the Kyoto Protocol, but more inclusive (USA), if we want to reach EU targets by 2050
- It is of utmost importance that the new agreement is ambitious and acceptable for all countries contributing
- The Baltic Sea region has the potential to become a showcase in energy efficiency for the rest of the world. We should show leadership and integrity by setting and following examples
- We still think locally and nationally instead of globally. A paradigm shift is needed
- Public and private investments are needed in R&D of environmental friendly solutions. CCS was one of the technologies highlighted
- Focus on energy savings, energy efficiency and renewable energies must occur in parallel
- Public-private partnerships and new joint initiatives are necessary in the battle of climate change
- A more integrated and efficient energy market is a must, if we want to allow free competition and thereby optimize market conditions
- Politicians must create clear guidelines and the right regulatory frameworks for the energy & climate industry. Administrative barriers of innovative technology implementations must be reduced
- Side effects of energy savings and reduction of trade must be considered in the discussions on climate change. Especially the delocalisation of dirty industries need to be avoided
Read/download a Press Release 21 May 2008 Warsaw
Summary
Energy & Climate Change – Global Challenges – Regional Solutions
The Warsaw conference touched upon the issues of energy efficiency, reduction of green house gas emissions, the outlook of the Cop 14 and Cop 15 meetings, and future threats as well as opportunities generating from climate change.
Polish Minister for Environment Maciej Nowicki underlined that the upcoming COP14 meeting in Poznan this year will be a crucial stepping stone towards a successful global climate agreement hopefully signed in Copenhagen next year. The main task of the Poznan summit is to prepare the frameworks of the next, binding climate agreement after the Kyoto Protocol is running out in 2011. The Danish Energy Ministry agrees that new quantitative obligations need to be set and that a more inclusive approach is needed. The new agreement needs to be ambitious and acceptable for all countries contributing. USA, Brazil and China are some of the major industrialised countries that need to get committed. It was stressed that the EU needs to take the lead in reducing CO2 and invest both politically and financially in renewable energy sources. In short, the EU needs to show ownership and integrity by following the examples it is proposing for others.
Several speakers referred to the latest – 4th – IPCC report that confirmed that climate change is caused 90 % by the human kind and concluded that climate change is happening faster than expected. The temperature is clearly getting warmer already and an IPCC expert from Poland pointed out that growth and energy savings can and should go hand in hand, as the Danish example also shows.
It was concluded that the industry needs clear guidelines and frameworks from the politicians. The panellists generally agreed that climate change is a great business opportunity for the future, not only a threat. Danish ambassador Hans Michael Kofoed-Hansen underlined that we shall make the Baltic Sea Region an exhibit for the rest of the world.
Andrzej Kassenberg, President at the Institute for Sustainable Development provocatively emphasized that a new global partnership is not about saving the environment, but is more of a game of winning competitive advantages. He proposed that a sector specific approach is needed and focus should be put on how to implement mechanisms in each specific sector.
One of the threats/side effects mentioned during the conference was the shift of production and dirty industries to developing countries. This should be restricted and dealt with in the new global agreement. Flight transport was also mentioned in several sessions as one of the areas where new measures are necessary.
All panellists agreed that more focus should be put on improving environmentally friendly technologies.