United Kingdom
UK Intervention, given by Helen Marquard, Head of Delegation
Madame Chair, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The UK supports the statements by Germany on behalf of the EU.
Over the last two days we have heard a broad range of perspectives that truly
reflects the complex and diverse nature of the energy sustainability debate.
As an international community we face a shared dilemma. To ensure well
being for a growing population with unfulfilled needs and aspirations we must
ensure economic growth and stability. Should we fail, we will be unable to
meet the Millennium Development Goals and we will face increasing risk of
instability and depravation. To grow our economies we must continue to use
more energy. But if we continue to use energy in an unsustainable manner,
with rising emissions and environmental degradation, we risk the very growth
and stability we are trying to achieve.
This session of CSD presents an opportunity to move towards greater energy
sustainability. By incorporating energy and its wider social, economic and
environmental impacts into country led development strategies and
development assistance strategies, countries can improve access to energy
for poverty reduction and economic growth without jeopardising sustainability.
At the same time developed countries must decouple economic activity from
environmental degradation at both local and global levels.
The UK believes that governments must maximise the use of sustainable and
economically viable solutions in increasing energy access and energy for
economic development, including by facilitating access to financing
mechanisms such as the World Bank?s Clean Energy Investment Framework
and the Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund. We appeal to
all relevant actors to increase their support for existing multi-stakeholder
partnerships and other collaborative efforts to assist the spread of low CO2
technologies, with a particular emphasis in the short term on increasing the
profile of energy efficiency.
The EU?s proposal that CSD15 should agree a high-level review mechanism
to track progress on energy for sustainable development underpinned by a
compilation of voluntary commitments based on national priorities and
objectives would be a useful supporting tool. Such a review will allow the
CSD, governments and other relevant bodies and initiatives to learn from, and
most importantly act upon, the lessons gained from implementation. We urge
DESA to begin work on such a compilation along the lines suggested by the
EU.
Madame Chair. We look forward to beginning work on a negotiated outcome
that is ambitious rather than conservative and reflects the true potential for
action and change. This way CSD will agree a progressive outcome which will
ensure implementation of our agreements.
ENDS
Madame Chair, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The UK supports the statements by Germany on behalf of the EU.
Over the last two days we have heard a broad range of perspectives that truly
reflects the complex and diverse nature of the energy sustainability debate.
As an international community we face a shared dilemma. To ensure well
being for a growing population with unfulfilled needs and aspirations we must
ensure economic growth and stability. Should we fail, we will be unable to
meet the Millennium Development Goals and we will face increasing risk of
instability and depravation. To grow our economies we must continue to use
more energy. But if we continue to use energy in an unsustainable manner,
with rising emissions and environmental degradation, we risk the very growth
and stability we are trying to achieve.
This session of CSD presents an opportunity to move towards greater energy
sustainability. By incorporating energy and its wider social, economic and
environmental impacts into country led development strategies and
development assistance strategies, countries can improve access to energy
for poverty reduction and economic growth without jeopardising sustainability.
At the same time developed countries must decouple economic activity from
environmental degradation at both local and global levels.
The UK believes that governments must maximise the use of sustainable and
economically viable solutions in increasing energy access and energy for
economic development, including by facilitating access to financing
mechanisms such as the World Bank?s Clean Energy Investment Framework
and the Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund. We appeal to
all relevant actors to increase their support for existing multi-stakeholder
partnerships and other collaborative efforts to assist the spread of low CO2
technologies, with a particular emphasis in the short term on increasing the
profile of energy efficiency.
The EU?s proposal that CSD15 should agree a high-level review mechanism
to track progress on energy for sustainable development underpinned by a
compilation of voluntary commitments based on national priorities and
objectives would be a useful supporting tool. Such a review will allow the
CSD, governments and other relevant bodies and initiatives to learn from, and
most importantly act upon, the lessons gained from implementation. We urge
DESA to begin work on such a compilation along the lines suggested by the
EU.
Madame Chair. We look forward to beginning work on a negotiated outcome
that is ambitious rather than conservative and reflects the true potential for
action and change. This way CSD will agree a progressive outcome which will
ensure implementation of our agreements.
ENDS
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