United Kingdom
CSD15 IPM Energy for Sustainable Development
27th Feb 2007
UK Intervention, given by Helen Marquard, Head of UK Delegation.
? UK aligns ourselves with the opening statement of the European Union
and would like to further elaborate on elements of this.
? As CSD14 highlighted, energy underlies many of the issues within this
thematic cluster. Clean, affordable, sustainable energy is essential for
development and economic growth, yet the ways in which we currently
produce and use energy are having negative impacts on the environment,
including climate as well as on social and development objectives. For
sustainable development to be realised these issues must be reconciled; we
can not pursue economic, social and environmental objectives separately.
? As regards to energy for sustainable development renewables and
other clean energy solutions provide a means to decarbonise energy
production, decentralisation of energy systems is likely to play an increasingly
important role and demand management will play a central role in helping to
decouple economic growth from energy growth.
? Reliable and affordable energy supplies are of crucial importance to
economic growth and to the reduction of all aspects of poverty, particularly for
women and children in developing countries. The full range of sustainable
energy sources and technologies will be needed for services to be improved,
especially in rural areas which are particularly difficult to reach. More efficient
use of conventional fuels will reduce pollution and conserve resources in the
short term. In addition there are unexploited viable opportunities for
developing countries to use renewable energy and energy efficiency to help
meet their energy service needs. Such opportunities should not be missed as
it is vital that we avoid lock in of carbon intensive technologies. Co-operation,
through partnerships and other initiatives to spread this technology and the
necessary business and policy models is of key importance.
? In the future sustainable energy must play a central role in the
development of country-led poverty reduction strategies and development
strategies. The work of the World Bank on developing the Clean Energy
Investment Framework and the European Commission?s recently launched
Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund will be important
contributions to this. We would also stress the importance of co-operation and
exchange of best practice through initiatives such as the Renewable Energy
and Energy Efficiency Partnership and the Global Village Energy Partnership,
amongst others, to increase capacity for public and private sector
engagement and replicate successful models for energy sector development.
? Pakistan spoke of the need for translation of commitments into action
on the ground. In that vein we believe it is vital that the approaches and
measures agreed by CSD15 to enhance energy?s contribution to sustainable
development are followed up and tracked to ensure that barriers and
opportunities for implementation are identified. This will be of great value, both
to governments and to institutions and initiatives active in this field, enabling
them to address these key challenges and target their efforts in the most
effective way. The basket of commitments that the EU has proposed will
provide a solid basis for future assessments.
? As outlined in the EU statement ? the well developed global community
around renewable energy is of great value in ensuring renewables are taken
into consideration wherever possible. We agree with the assessment that
energy efficiency lacks such a community and that it would greatly benefit
from a high level global network to bring together key stakeholders and give
energy efficiency a voice on the global stage. We believe that such a network
ought to make the most of existing structures and initiatives; the Renewable
Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership, with its pre-existing network and
infrastructure, could be a potential vehicle for facilitation of such a network to
promote energy efficiency.
ENDS
27th Feb 2007
UK Intervention, given by Helen Marquard, Head of UK Delegation.
? UK aligns ourselves with the opening statement of the European Union
and would like to further elaborate on elements of this.
? As CSD14 highlighted, energy underlies many of the issues within this
thematic cluster. Clean, affordable, sustainable energy is essential for
development and economic growth, yet the ways in which we currently
produce and use energy are having negative impacts on the environment,
including climate as well as on social and development objectives. For
sustainable development to be realised these issues must be reconciled; we
can not pursue economic, social and environmental objectives separately.
? As regards to energy for sustainable development renewables and
other clean energy solutions provide a means to decarbonise energy
production, decentralisation of energy systems is likely to play an increasingly
important role and demand management will play a central role in helping to
decouple economic growth from energy growth.
? Reliable and affordable energy supplies are of crucial importance to
economic growth and to the reduction of all aspects of poverty, particularly for
women and children in developing countries. The full range of sustainable
energy sources and technologies will be needed for services to be improved,
especially in rural areas which are particularly difficult to reach. More efficient
use of conventional fuels will reduce pollution and conserve resources in the
short term. In addition there are unexploited viable opportunities for
developing countries to use renewable energy and energy efficiency to help
meet their energy service needs. Such opportunities should not be missed as
it is vital that we avoid lock in of carbon intensive technologies. Co-operation,
through partnerships and other initiatives to spread this technology and the
necessary business and policy models is of key importance.
? In the future sustainable energy must play a central role in the
development of country-led poverty reduction strategies and development
strategies. The work of the World Bank on developing the Clean Energy
Investment Framework and the European Commission?s recently launched
Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund will be important
contributions to this. We would also stress the importance of co-operation and
exchange of best practice through initiatives such as the Renewable Energy
and Energy Efficiency Partnership and the Global Village Energy Partnership,
amongst others, to increase capacity for public and private sector
engagement and replicate successful models for energy sector development.
? Pakistan spoke of the need for translation of commitments into action
on the ground. In that vein we believe it is vital that the approaches and
measures agreed by CSD15 to enhance energy?s contribution to sustainable
development are followed up and tracked to ensure that barriers and
opportunities for implementation are identified. This will be of great value, both
to governments and to institutions and initiatives active in this field, enabling
them to address these key challenges and target their efforts in the most
effective way. The basket of commitments that the EU has proposed will
provide a solid basis for future assessments.
? As outlined in the EU statement ? the well developed global community
around renewable energy is of great value in ensuring renewables are taken
into consideration wherever possible. We agree with the assessment that
energy efficiency lacks such a community and that it would greatly benefit
from a high level global network to bring together key stakeholders and give
energy efficiency a voice on the global stage. We believe that such a network
ought to make the most of existing structures and initiatives; the Renewable
Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership, with its pre-existing network and
infrastructure, could be a potential vehicle for facilitation of such a network to
promote energy efficiency.
ENDS
Stakeholders