Italy
Meeting growing needs for energy services through increased use of
renewable energy, greater reliance on advanced energy technologies,
including advanced and fossil fuel technologies
Speaking notes
Time and again, diverse group such as the European Union and the G8 have
made strong commitments to increase supply and utilization of renewable
sources of energy . Industrialised countries, and Italy is one of them, are
adopting domestic measures to foster the competitiveness of renewable sources
compared to conventional ones : fiscal tools, capital-cost incentives and feed-in
tariffs, and renewable energy and energy efficiency tradable certificates are
among the most promising . The effective application of these tools requires
however the existence of modern economic and market strategies such as the
privatisation of the energy and gas sectors .
Italy believes that energy technologies that use renewable sources are already
mature technologies that, once the appropriate context is established for their
development and diffusion, can address in the short term the challenges linked
to energy security, climate change and access to energy services by the poor .
Furthermore, in countries where population and energy consumption grow at
increasing rates, renewable energies can represent, at present, the most feasible
option for clean energy .
I TA L'V
For these reasons it becomes important to facilitate and support the creation of
contexts in which the transfer of know-how between industrialised and
developing countries can effectively take place .
Although the main barrier to the development and utilization of renewable
energy technologies is related to their costs, thereby requiring increased
financial efforts by all, , the final solution to the global diffusion of clean and
efficient energy technologies will appear only when a mature and aware market
framework will be established .
The Kyoto Protocol flexible mechanisms, in particular the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM), and in general the innovative tools of "carbon finance", are
valuable instruments for generating resources for the development of clean
energy technologies through market development The Italian Government is
currently promoting in the Mediterranean region the establishment of a
favourable context for the development and diffusion of efficient and renewable
energy technologies . The Type II Partnership Initiative MEDREP' has been
launched with the purpose of identifying and implementing innovative
financial mechanisms to support markets for renewable technologies in
developing countries .
The solar water heater technology has been identified, at present, as the most
market-adaptable technology in the short term for domestic use and in the
tourist sector. The main market barrier to its development is high initial costs,
coupled with the difficulty of accessing credit institutions that still consider
renewable technologies a high risk investment .
1 Mediterranean Renewable Energy Programme
Due to initial positive results, reliability in the government and local credit
institutions has increased, and governments have been further engaged in
supporting consolidation of this market sector until the technology will become
competitive and assimilated into the national technology market .
Similarly, the Italian Government in cooperation with the partnership initiative
REEEP, is engaged in carrying out an ambitious project aimed at developing a
regional market-based incentive scheme, involving countries of the whole
Mediterranean area.
This scheme, based on Renewable Energy Tradable Certificates and on the
Kyoto Protocol mechanisms, aim at enhancing incentives and supporting
sectoral private investments in developing countries .
As to Bioenergy, the development of this sector is the response to a global
demand. In recognition of this fact, the G8 Leaders have established in the
Gleneagles Action Plan the launching of the Global Bioenergy Partnership . As
already announced, such launching will take place during the CSD High Level
Segment.
renewable energy, greater reliance on advanced energy technologies,
including advanced and fossil fuel technologies
Speaking notes
Time and again, diverse group such as the European Union and the G8 have
made strong commitments to increase supply and utilization of renewable
sources of energy . Industrialised countries, and Italy is one of them, are
adopting domestic measures to foster the competitiveness of renewable sources
compared to conventional ones : fiscal tools, capital-cost incentives and feed-in
tariffs, and renewable energy and energy efficiency tradable certificates are
among the most promising . The effective application of these tools requires
however the existence of modern economic and market strategies such as the
privatisation of the energy and gas sectors .
Italy believes that energy technologies that use renewable sources are already
mature technologies that, once the appropriate context is established for their
development and diffusion, can address in the short term the challenges linked
to energy security, climate change and access to energy services by the poor .
Furthermore, in countries where population and energy consumption grow at
increasing rates, renewable energies can represent, at present, the most feasible
option for clean energy .
I TA L'V
For these reasons it becomes important to facilitate and support the creation of
contexts in which the transfer of know-how between industrialised and
developing countries can effectively take place .
Although the main barrier to the development and utilization of renewable
energy technologies is related to their costs, thereby requiring increased
financial efforts by all, , the final solution to the global diffusion of clean and
efficient energy technologies will appear only when a mature and aware market
framework will be established .
The Kyoto Protocol flexible mechanisms, in particular the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM), and in general the innovative tools of "carbon finance", are
valuable instruments for generating resources for the development of clean
energy technologies through market development The Italian Government is
currently promoting in the Mediterranean region the establishment of a
favourable context for the development and diffusion of efficient and renewable
energy technologies . The Type II Partnership Initiative MEDREP' has been
launched with the purpose of identifying and implementing innovative
financial mechanisms to support markets for renewable technologies in
developing countries .
The solar water heater technology has been identified, at present, as the most
market-adaptable technology in the short term for domestic use and in the
tourist sector. The main market barrier to its development is high initial costs,
coupled with the difficulty of accessing credit institutions that still consider
renewable technologies a high risk investment .
1 Mediterranean Renewable Energy Programme
Due to initial positive results, reliability in the government and local credit
institutions has increased, and governments have been further engaged in
supporting consolidation of this market sector until the technology will become
competitive and assimilated into the national technology market .
Similarly, the Italian Government in cooperation with the partnership initiative
REEEP, is engaged in carrying out an ambitious project aimed at developing a
regional market-based incentive scheme, involving countries of the whole
Mediterranean area.
This scheme, based on Renewable Energy Tradable Certificates and on the
Kyoto Protocol mechanisms, aim at enhancing incentives and supporting
sectoral private investments in developing countries .
As to Bioenergy, the development of this sector is the response to a global
demand. In recognition of this fact, the G8 Leaders have established in the
Gleneagles Action Plan the launching of the Global Bioenergy Partnership . As
already announced, such launching will take place during the CSD High Level
Segment.
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