Hungary
CSD14, 10 May 2006
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Participants,
Hungary attributes great attention to the energy production and consumption issues
including their closely interlinked economic, social and environmental aspects. We are
very well aware of the importance of international cooperation on energy supply,
technology progress, development cooperation and energy-related environmental
problems.
Energy has become a global matter, and our countries are interdependent for many
reasons: let me only mention the rapidly growing volume of international trade in
energy carriers, the transboundary pipelines and fleet of tankers which carry huge
amounts of fossil fuels, rapidly developing technologies of energy production, or the
harmful atmospheric emissions.
Increasing energy production, access to modern energy systems were key catalysts of
fast economic development of the industrialized countries and it is absolutely
legitimate that all countries and all regions wished and wish to follow such a path of
development. But gradually we reached a level of understanding of the unintentional
and inadvertent consequences of our enhanced dependence on certain energy sources:
the increasing energy and energy carrier supply security problems, the intra- and
intergenerational equity issue in terms of access to energy for development, the
climate change hazard due to the growing carbon-dioxide emissions.
We are here at the CSD session to focus on these and other regional and national level
problems, to identify the barriers in finding and pursuing proper solutions and to
determine possible ways forward. Our endeavor here should take into account the
findings and provisions of the UNCED, the WSSD and so many related international
programs and multilateral agreements such as conventions on control of emissions of
sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide or other harmful substances.
Obviously, there is a need for a new paradigm. Basic points of such a paradigm are
reducing carbon intensity of energy supply in order to lessen environmental pressure,
moreover the energy prices determined by the market and competition, and the energy
poverty mitigation in the developing world as a significant socio-economic
requirement.
Reduction of carbon intensity is essential for the success of our fight against global
warming. This is an enormous challenge, because the global warming is approaching
the point of no return. Climate change is certainly not the only sustainability
challenge. However, its magnitude and complexity make it a case at the center of the
paradigm.
We share the general approach presented by the European Community, especially, we
emphasize how important to reach consensus here on the direction of our further
cooperation. It can orient us for the next policy year to find effective responses
specifically to the issues considered during this CSD program cycle and more broadly
to take into account all significant interlinkages and cross-cutting areas.
Concerning the energy, the basic challenges include the substantial improvement of
energy efficiency and energy saving as in particular there is a high potential for such
policies in the countries of our region and at the same time it has significant
environmental and economic benefits.
It is also crucial to increase the share of renewable energy sources since it provides
substantial contribution to meet national economic and environmental objectives by
mitigating energy supply security risks, enhancing effectiveness of energy system and
decreasing harmful emissions. Expanding markets for renewable technologies will
increase energy security and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Realizing the
potential for a cleaner and more secure system, governments have to consider
deployment policies to create markets for the new technologies.
Of course, progress in these areas can only be achieved through an efficient
cooperation among all stakeholders.
Our own recent socio-economic development demonstrates a solid decoupling of
economic development and environmental pressures. During the last 15 years
significant restructuring and modernization occurred throughout our national economy
and in particular the energy sector. One of the most important issues related to our
energy efficiency policy is the financial support for different investments in
households, municipalities, small and medium size enterprises. Our firm intention is
to give renewable energy sources an increasing role by doubling their penetration in
the fuel mix within this decade.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman
