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Endorsements

Endorsements


A

Maria-Nazareth-Farani-Azevedo
Maria Nazareth Farani Azevêdo
Ambassador of Brazil to the United Nations, Geneva
A new paradigm connecting energy-development-environment comes forth in the beginning of this century. As the growing world demand for energy poses challenges for sustainable development and environmental governance, renewable energy resources play a key role for the future of mankind. The positive environmental effects of replacing fossil fuels for those often called “green fuels”, for instance, constitute one of the strongest reasons for their use worldwide. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been personally engaged in advocating the economic, environmental and social benefits of using such kind of energy sources, especially as regards to biofuels. He presided last November, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, the “International Conference on Biofuels: biofuels as a driving force of sustainable development”. Brazil views biofuels as a means to promoting sustainable development and making an important contribution towards addressing the global challenges of combating poverty, ensuring energy security and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases.


B

Mohamed-El-Baradei
Mohamed El Baradei
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
Two key challenges for energy policy include the establishment of a comprehensive global approach, and to ensure innovation through research and development. I have proposed working towards a new global energy organization to build on existing structures, and I welcome any steps that can be taken in that regard. Innovation across all energy technologies is also vital given the ever growing needs for “clean” energy.
Gabriel-Barta
Gabriel Barta
Head of Technical Cooperation, International Electrotechnical Commission
The main emphases for action to enable us to survive and prosper despite climate and energy challenges are clearly (a) all countries making their best effort, without preaching to others and without blaming them, and (b) placing these efforts sufficiently high in the priority order for the necessary investments to be made. In both respects emerging countries are crucial, because of their often inadequate current infrastructure, their rapid growth and economic power and their large and growing influence on climate and resource use. Tools for infrastructure leapfrogging and for fair comparisons of impact on the environment must consequently be suited to their use.
Robert-F.-Blum
Robert F. Blum
President & Founder, Le Cercle diplomatique de Genève
The Energy Pact Conference aims to create in Geneva a platform for reflection and exchange which integrates the issues of energy, the environment and development. This multi-stakeholder conference will bring together for the first time high-level participants from different horizons and different cultures. The aim of Geneva’s Cercle Diplomatique is to create special links between diplomats, civil servants, and the Swiss and international civil society. Therefore, it is only logical that the Cercle supports the Energy Pact Conference. Only through a non-partisan dialogue between men of goodwill can we make our way together towards a world which is fairer, more humane, and safer for each and every one of us.
cbus
Carlos Busquets
Deputy Director, Policy and Business Practices, International Chamber of Commerce, Paris
The EnergyPact – UNCTAD conference recognizes the pivotal role that emerging countries will have in the transition towards a green economy. The private sector will be the main source of finance and investment to build a green future and companies helping achieve this working across global supply chains. The key will be for governments to provide a stable framework for investment and green markets to scale up solutions.


C

James-Cameron
James Cameron
Executive Vice Chairman Climate Change Capital, UK
This event has chosen a subject of profound importance for the world. The dynamics of energy markets are increasingly driven by emerging economies rising middle classes with growing consumption ensures greater resource use and increased competition for all basic resources. Energy access is a serious political as well as economical issue. Climate Change amplifies risk across the world, and in places where water and food resources are scarce, famine, migration and social unrest threaten peace and security – the mandate of the United Nations. We need to look for answers in resource productivity. The innovation required to develop a greener economy will bring huge opportunity to emerging powers for producer nations as a natural “hedge” from high to low carbon, and for nations exposed to high cost inputs the prize is greater independence and flexibility.
Ron-Cameron
Ron Cameron
Head, Nuclear Development Division OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
Demand for energy continues its inexorable rise and governments have to meet that challenge by developing energy sources that are affordable, safe, satisfy the need to limit climate change and provide the country with security of supply. How all these priorities can be met is a key challenge for the future. Nuclear power has been part of that solution for many years, but in the light of the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident, some countries are reconsidering their use, while others have confirmed it. How will nuclear develop in the next decades is therefore an important debate.
Paul-Clements-Hunt
Paul Clements-Hunt
Head UNEP-FI
With energy demand in emerging economies booming, it is evermore important to intensify the dialogue between the sustainable community and leaders of emerging economies. My hope is that the 2011 EnergyPact Conference will be a turning point in this process – and conclude with a clear signal to Rio+20 conveners that the developing world intends to play a key role in the multilateral fight against climate change.
William-S.-Cohen
William S. Cohen
Former US Secretary of Defense
The new Obama administration will make combating global warming a top priority. Indeed, there is a moral, environmental, economic and security imperative to tackle climate change in a serious manner. The energy mix in the future must also consider environmental and sustainable development constraints. These issues will be fully developed during the Energy Pact Conference in Geneva in a unique, non-partisan multi-stakeholder setting. The time to act is now.
Loren-C.-Cox
Loren C. Cox
Associate Director, Program Development, MIT Global Change Joint Program/CEEPR
The current global financial turbulence likely will be with us for some time, and will correctly claim the urgent attention of all global leaders. Absent stability and trust in financial institutions at national, regional and global levels, important goals in energy security, environmental accords, and development initiatives may be delayed—but not abandoned. The Energy Pact Conference can make a very useful contribution in thinking how to order priorities in these three important areas and thus lay the groundwork for more rapid progress when the global economy regains its balance—and the resources–to address more completely these complex but crucial matters.


D

Yves-Louis-Darricarrere
Yves-Louis Darricarrère
President, Total Exploration & Production
Our principal responsibility is to meet the demand for energy on a sustainable basis. That primarily requires committing substantial capital expenditure and driving continuous innovation to grow our oil and natural gas production, while ensuring the safety and security of our employees, contractors and neighbors and constantly reducing our environmental footprint. But we are also aware, like civil society, of the need to secure the longer-term future of energy. That’s why we are deeply involved in renewable energies like biomass and solar energy. As an engaged corporate citizen attuned to local aspirations, our core responsibility is to listen to our stakeholders and then creatively devise mutually beneficial solutions. For Total, being responsible means willingly facing up to the complex choices we must make, finding solutions to the problems we encounter, demonstrating professional discipline and unbending ethical conduct, delivering continuous improvements, informing, explaining, listening and dialoguing.


E

Poul-Engberg-Pedersen
Poul Engberg-Pedersen
Deputy Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN
In today’s fast-changing and interconnected global economy, it is becoming increasingly urgent to improve international cooperation in addressing the major challenges of the future. Our capacity to adapt to and overcome these challenges is being increasingly compromised by climate change and environmental degradation. IUCN is committed to achieving sustainability, and sees this conference as a timely opportunity to further explore and advance the solutions needed to catalyze the necessary transition to a green economy. This transition will not be possible without the active engagement of all sectors of social and economic activity across all five continents. Emerging economies, in particular, will have a key role to play in setting a new course for development and in making the economy of the future a more resilient and sustainable one. IUCN welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this challenging task, and looks forward to collaborating with the global leaders convened at the Energypact UNCTAD conference in building the momentum needed to transition to a truly green world economy.


G

Narsi-Ghorban
Narsi Ghorban
Secretary General of the Environment and Green Energy Commission, Iranian Committee of ICC
This conference is timely and discussing a very important subject.It is timely because it is organized a few days from COP 17 in Durban and nearly seven months from a very important conference in Brazil (Rio+20). It can add input to both these important events and allow discussion of various topics that cannot be adequately dealt with in Durban and Rio due to time constraint.The conference is dealing with the emerging economies approach to “Green Economy” which is currently the most important issue pursued by UNEP, UNCTAD, ICC, BASD and many developed and developing countries. Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication has been declared a priority theme of the United Nations conference on Sustainable Development in 2012.


H

Johnny-El-Hachem
Johnny El Hachem
Head of Environmental Finance, Edmond de Rothschild Group, Switzerland
In the wake of the current financial crisis with limited access to credit markets and certainty about the profitability and bankability of projects, transition towards a more sustainable global economy can only be achieved through the collaboration and partnership of both private/public actors. The Energypact UNCTAD conference acts as an important vehicle towards fostering partnership and working towards the achievement of more sustainable development.

Sven-M.-Hansen
Sven M. Hansen
Chief Investment Officer, Good Energies AG
A new paradigm connecting energy-development-environment comes forth in the beginning of this century. As the growing world demand for energy poses challenges for sustainable development and environmental governance, renewable energy resources play a key role for the future of mankind. The positive environmental effects of replacing fossil fuels for those often called “green fuels”, for instance, constitute one of the strongest reasons for their use worldwide. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been personally engaged in advocating the economic, environmental and social benefits of using such kind of energy sources, especially as regards to biofuels. He presided last November, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, the “International Conference on Biofuels: biofuels as a driving force of sustainable development”. Brazil views biofuels as a means to promoting sustainable development and making an important contribution towards addressing the global challenges of combating poverty, ensuring energy security and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases
David-Harris
David Harris
Director of International Logistics Investments, Foreign Investment Office, Dubai
The growth of emerging markets has been nothing short of staggering these last few years, which is why it is equally important to embrace green tech solutions. A growing population and infrastructure puts significant strain on our limited resources and it is time we adopted alternative methods of growth.
Jim-Henderson
David Harris
Director of International Logistics Investments, Foreign Investment Office, Dubai
The growth of emerging markets has been nothing short of staggering these last few years, which is why it is equally important to embrace green tech solutions. A growing population and infrastructure puts significant strain on our limited resources and it is time we adopted alternative methods of growth.
Robert-Hensler
Robert Hensler
Geneva State Chancellor
Energy is as ubiquitous as the air we breathe. It is at the heart of human development, from the mastering of fire in the Stone Age to the mastering of the atom today. Yet, energy is more and more a cause of friction and conflicts, on one hand, and of impoverishment and inequality on the other. As energy consumption increases sharply, states compete to capture a larger size of the world’s resources. The consequences can be dire, as energy has ceased meaning oil or wind only, to also mean wheat, corn, sugar cane, or even water. The ubiquity of energy is more pervasive today than ever.
In this context, there is a growing need for discussion and debate to define the path to sustainable energy use, bearing in mind sustainability’s three dimensions, the social the economic and the environmental one.
Geneva, home to numerous governmental and non-governmental organisations, notably in the area of environmental protection (climate, conservation and development), as well as a prime centre for oil and natural resource trading, is ideally placed to lead this discussion. The presence in Geneva of most of the major United Nations agencies and the ninety conservation and development organizations installed here provide a fertile ground and a know-how on how to productively conduct high level meetings such as the Energy Pact Conference.
David-Hiler
David Hiler
President of the Government of the Republic and State of Geneva
We are extremely pleased and proud to host the first international Energy Pact Conference in Geneva, especially since the local government is leading a very active and ambitious policy regarding the environment. Indeed, over the last few years the necessities of sustainable development have penetrated our main political parties and have started playing a growing part in Geneva’s economy. In the beginning of 2007, Geneva adopted the “2000-Watt Society” principle and gave itself an energy-guiding plan. The plan contained innovative measures regarding the quality of air, such as restricting traffic in the city centre. In the medium term, we hope to recycle 50% of urban waste, 85% of construction waste and 70% of the waste produced by the State. Geneva is also leading an ambitious investment policy in the field of public transport; it is extensively developing its tram lines and will soon have a cross-border regional train. Furthermore, Geneva is developing an “eco-neighborhood” project. These facts are concrete evidence that economic and environment-related aspects in Geneva, can be addressed together and in harmony.


J

Daniel Jaeggi

Daniel-Jaeggi
Daniel Jaeggi
Vice President of Mercuria Energy, and Head of Global Trading

With crude oil prices so much lower than before, much needed investments in infrastructure, tankage, transport, production and refining are being delayed or cancelled. In addition, many energy sources that require investment are no longer economic. Biofuels, new deep sea finds, and Canadian tar sands are less attractive and in some cases completely uneconomic when oil is less than $50 a barrel. Other green energy investments—such as efforts to reduce carbon emissions—are also less viable, both politically and economically, while oil remains cheap.

A second issue of concern is the lack of investment in maintaining and developing existing oil fields. International oil companies—Exxon Mobil, Total, BP, Shell and the like—which have the expertise and technology to do this, are over time losing access to important fields in many parts of the world, in favor of national oil companies. Since the NOCs are relied upon by national treasuries as an important source of revenue, however, they tend to be less able to make the necessary investments to maintain and develop oil production.

These two worrying trends in the energy field need our attention. Both undermine the effort to maintain a stable energy supply and prices, and to meet growing demand in the future.


K

ASK
Ashok Khosla
President of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and President of the Club of Rome
The Economy versus Energy, Equity and the Environment: The Empowerment DilemmaThe spectacular improvements in our lives over the past two hundred years have not come without cost. Close to one half of humanity (ten persons for every American) lives outside the mainstream economy. In just about one hundred years, we have used up close to half of the fossil fuels that took hundreds of millions of years to accumulate. Mapping the spread of water scarce regions could keep many cartographers busy full time. Dozens of species become extinct each day. 50,000 Sq. Km of fertile land become deserts every year. And our actions may well lead within a human lifetime to a deadly change in the global climate and loss of our life support systems.Rampant unemployment with accelerating inflation; rising prices and growing scarcity of energy, water and materials; declining crops and widespread hunger – these are the flip sides of many “successful” economies today, no less in many industrialized countries of the North than in the low income nations in the South. Few societies today have escaped the widespread scourges of growing pollution, waste accumulation, social alienation, drugs, terrorist threats and general insecurity.There is growing evidence that all these symptoms of a planet suffering form terminal disease come from the same basic causes: the consumption patterns and production systems of our economies. Our present concepts of development and modernity cannot be sustained for much longer.If the global economy is to flourish and the benefits it brings are to continue to reach everyone on the globe, now and in the future, the way we choose our technologies, design our institutions and relate to nature will have to change substantially.Ashok Khosla presents half a century of experience from IUCN, the Club of Rome and Development Alternatives, the first social enterprise to address such issues in the Third World, and the lessons it offers for the future of all.
Hans-Jorgen-Koch
Hans Jorgen Koch
Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Climate and Energy, Denmark
The time is limited to limit the consequences of climate change. The IPCC has made it clear: We have to halve our emissions in 40 years and the emissions need to peak within the next ten years. Denmark is hosting the 15th UN climate change conference (COP15) in December 2009. COP15 is crucial for the international climate change negotiations. The parties to the Climate Change Convention agreed at COP13 in Bali in December 2007 that negotiations on a future agreement have to be concluded at COP15 in Copenhagen. The Danish Governments goal is that COP15 will result in an ambitious global agreement that includes all countries of the world and which sets ambitious targets for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Ministers from over 170 countries are expected to participate in COP15.


L

Roderick-Lawrence
Roderick Lawrence
Faculty of Social & Economic Sciences, University of Geneva
Cities have a crucial responsibility in meeting international goals, national objectives and local needs that promote the RIO+ 20 agenda. It is necessary to reconsider the construction of housing and urban development in a broad environmental, economic, social and political context that explicitly accounts for health, environmental justice and equity.

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Raymond-Leban
Raymond Leban
France, VP Corporate Strategy, EDF
The climate change issue is now at a crucial point after the huge change that happened in Copenhagen. The “common but differentiated responsibility” concept that has largely driven the process up to now by separating the roles of developed and developing countries, is presently taking a new profile. Emerging countries and a group of other fast growing countries named here “the 3Gs”, although not ready to be constrained by a top down process, are realizing that their growth prospects enable them to green their growth and make a positive contribution to the collective emissions reduction action. The pledges announced two years ago are becoming reality and this reality is a proof of this “new deal”. It seems worth for the international community to recognize such a platform of countries and to strengthen collective efforts for the greening of its members’ growth to occur (through increasing use of cost-effective /energy efficient technologies), given the absolute and relative size of their energy needs. Indeed, better understanding of what their effort in this direction is and how it can be fostered through cooperation with developed countries in the framework of voluntary deals might be more fruitful than going on trying to design differentiated emissions reduction obligations for all countries in a top-down approach. For this cooperative approach to work, 3Gs and developed countries must accept to implement the emissions monitoring, verification and reporting mechanisms deemed necessary to ensure the effectiveness of emissions reductions and conditioning 3Gs countries’ access to multilateral financial and technological support schemes (like the Green Climate Fund and the Technology Mechanism), built under the recent accords. Developed countries are important potential contributors as regards building capacity in green energy solutions engineering and operation.
linija
Carlos-Lopes-
Carlos Lopes
Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research
The growing demand for and production of energy in developing countries with high rates of economic growth is creating unprecedented challenges for ensuring equitable socio-economic development and environmental sustainability. New modes of governance, knowledge transfer and capacity development are warranted to develop innovative, context specific and sustainable solutions. The Energy Pact Conference creates a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to address the future challenge of making energy, development, and environment needs mutually compatible.
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Joe-Lufkin
Joe Lufkin
Director, Industrial Finance Corporation, Philippines
Infrastructure, the physical fabric by which a society organizes itself, is sometimes taken for granted but in fact is a major determinant of quality of life and driver of growth – especially in our rapidly-growing cities. The challenge today is to sustain economic development without further ruining our environment and climate or running out of energy.
At the same time, we must devise new ways to mobilize investment in the infrastructure needed, and do so at a time when our financial markets are under tremendous pressure and the massive debts of the last credit bubble need to be cleared.This conference will surely be a solid contribution to the global debate on these problems, and will generate new ideas, new actions and new mechanisms to solve them.
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Prof.-Urs-Luterbacher
Prof. Urs Luterbacher
Chairman Environmental Studies Unit, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies
Evoking the three major dimensions of today’s global crisis, the international financial problems and the world economy, climate change, and the related energy questions seems almost banal these days. Nevertheless behind the apparent banality there is a real sense of urgency as the potential positive feedback between these three issues could create major disruptions and change significantly for the worse, the world as we know it. However, even this conjunction of crises can lead to what the famous economist Schumpeter has called creative destruction not just at the level of finance and business but also at the institutional and political level. The power of retrograde industrial lobbies can be broken as governments and international institutions can take on new roles of lenders of last resort, which shifts the balance of power toward them. We have to remember that some of the most significant international institutions of the last half-century were created and conceived in the midst of the chaos of World War II. The world seems to be now again at a crossroad where it can either move into the direction of increased international collaboration, the only way to solve the tremendous problems facing us, or retreat into localism and parochialism.

The challenges are daunting: Energy consumption has risen exponentially since the industrial revolution 250 years ago and it continues to rise today and will be probably only slowed down temporarily by the current economic crises. The world energy use grew by 2.7% during 2005. This increase is constituted mainly by a rise in oil consumption of 1.7%, a rise in natural gas of 2.4% and especially a rise in coal consumption of 5%. This latter figure is in some sense especially alarming because it signals a shift from oil and gas to coal because of its lower relative price and great availability in particular in emerging countries such as India and China.

This is preoccupying as coal produces more CO2 than the other fossil fuels. The rise in energy consumption is undoubtedly going to continue throughout the coming century, mainly because of the increasing industrialization of the developing countries. Indeed, the distribution of this energy per capita is highly uneven throughout the world. For example, the United States, France or Germany, which are all considered to be developed countries, represent respectively only about 5%, 0.9% and 1.4% of the total world population but account for 24%, 3% and 4% of the world’s energy use. Even if the United States is the most extreme example, it is clear that developed countries in general consume more energy per capita than the developing countries. Equating energy usage per capita throughout the world will greatly increase demand. If extreme climate change is to be avoided, such developments will have to take place with new technologies less or better completely independent of fossil fuels. But energy use through fossil fuels is not the only source of global warming. Agricultural production accounts also for a significant part of it: Directly through specific cultivation and animal raising practices and indirectly by contributing to deforestation. Since the world population is bound to increase to perhaps eight to nine billion people within the next decade, agriculture will have the task of providing food for this additional amount of people without contributing to increase greenhouse gases.

In order to resolve these issues among many others, international cooperation has to increase by leaps and bounds: New international institutions will probably have to be created, old ones modified to a considerable degree. Transfers of wealth and technologies to developing areas will have to be organized in order to assure global participation in the struggle against climate change. Finally, new technologies have to be invented and put to work. The task is huge but by no means impossible to achieve. It will only succeed if more efforts are made toward collaboration through painstaking discussions and bargaining processes in order to achieve workable consensus based agreements. The decentralized nature of the international system precludes any solutions imposed from the top. The energy pact conference constitutes a first step in this direction through discussions and dialogue between participants from many countries and across sectors from political decision makers to academics, businessmen and industrialists. One can only wish it full success.


M

Ranjit-Murugason
Ranjit Murugason
Founder & Managing Director Urban Strategic Pte. Ltd.
Infrastructure is still today regarded as fundamentally a public sector investment. Primarily, as infrastructure is the very back bone of every nation, government’s must lead the policy and development of the same, as, without proper infrastructure there can be no development of social, health and economic benefit for a nation. However, today’s challenge is: how to finance such investment (when so many nation’s are struggling with financing development) ; and how to ensure ‘clean’ infrastructure programmes (which many developing nations see as a luxury and a reaction to the excess of the developed and large manufacturing economies). The challenge is to balance these objectives and fundamentally seek private sector involvement- how do we encourage and harness private sector financing and operational development excellence in global infrastructure?
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AM
Ranjit Murugason
Founder & Managing Director Urban Strategic Pte. Ltd.
Infrastructure is still today regarded as fundamentally a public sector investment. Primarily, as infrastructure is the very back bone of every nation, government’s must lead the policy and development of the same, as, without proper infrastructure there can be no development of social, health and economic benefit for a nation. However, today’s challenge is: how to finance such investment (when so many nation’s are struggling with financing development) ; and how to ensure ‘clean’ infrastructure programmes (which many developing nations see as a luxury and a reaction to the excess of the developed and large manufacturing economies). The challenge is to balance these objectives and fundamentally seek private sector involvement- how do we encourage and harness private sector financing and operational development excellence in global infrastructure


P

Pathare
Amit Pathare
Chief Analyst, Strategy, Energy Economics & Risk Advisory, GDF SUEZ
The prevailing economic conditions are poised to be a severe challenge to the global commitment to sustainable development and fighting climate change. The upcoming COP17 session in Durban and the “Rio + 20″ Conference on Sustainable Development scheduled for next year represent opportunities to reaffirm this commitment. But this means understanding the nature of the options and the investment choices that we need to make in order to create an optimal energy mix. The timing and coverage of the EnergyPact-UNCTAD Conference is thus apt!
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bep
Bertrand Piccard
Chairman of Solar Impulse
Since the establishment of the Red Cross movement by Henry Dunant, Geneva has always been at the forefront of mankind efforts to solve stringent international issues. It therefore does not come as a surprise that Geneva is launching the Energy Pact Conference to bring its contribution to today’s’ most pressing challenge, the energy use and sources. It is my conviction that innovative solutions will arise from this meeting – as it always happens in Geneva.
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Hans-B.-Puttgen
Hans B. Püttgen
Professor and Director, Energy Center, EPFL
The ubiquitous availability of inexpensive, clean and reliable energy supplies is an absolute requirement for sustained development. This is especially true in regions with emerging economies where the massive demands to additional energy must be met while avoiding long-lasting environmental impacts. At the same time, industrialized countries must intensify their quest toward a more energy consumption pattern.


R

Dr-Gary-N.-Ross
Dr Gary N. Ross
Chief Executive Officer, PIRA Energy Group
Sustainable economic development while at the same time providing prosperity and social welfare will require equitably-priced energy in an environmentally friendly manner. This is the challenge the world faces and it requires both producers and consumers to take an active interest.
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cru
Carlo Rubbia
Nobel laureate, Physics 1984
Our society will depend crucially on uninterrupted and differentiated energy supply. Major new steps have to be taken in order to avoid potential geo-political and price vulnerability.
In order to reconcile sustainable development and economic growth with the threat of environmental decay, only two main forms of primary energy ere accessible, namely solar both direct or indirect (like wind and hydro) and nuclear. But neither solar nor nuclear are todays energies: radically new solutions are required, relaying on truly innovative scientific and technological developments.
The main open question is if mankind will reach promptly enough the common political will to act in front of these dangers and be capable to understand and assess the conditions necessary for avoiding the menaces. These are global problems that humanity is poorly equipped to handle. The coherent exploitation of human capital of the most educated societies is the decisive factor. In a world in which numerical growth may become decoupled from a more radical scientific and technological innovation, it is unclear if humanity will take up the challenge of qualitative growth or if it may instead evolve in a pattern of slower development that could become stagnant and decay. Only through a concentrated and coordinated effort, leadership can be targeted and the objectives of creating a new energy scenario in which high quality employment opportunities and a better quality of life can be met.
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Andrew-Rudd
Andrew Rudd
Urban Environment and Planning Branch, UNHABITAT
As the world struggles to recover from a financial crisis, cities — particularly fast-growing ones in the developing world — will have to drive future economic growth despite an approaching resource limit and the resultant increase in energy prices. Urban configuration is key. Cities’ inherent agglomeration advantages provide the significant opportunity for them to decouple growth and wellbeing from environmental degradation. But they need to know how. This conference presents the perfect forum for sharing experiences on what cities around the world can and have done to leverage their assets for sustainable growth.


S

Paolo-Liebl-von-Schirach
Paolo Liebl von Schirach
The Schirach Report, Washington
“This Event is very timely. The world needs a practical, non dogmatic approach on how to deal with expanding energy needs, while safeguarding the environment. Lack of affordable, clean energy is the number one stumbling block to sustainable development in emerging economies, while energy represents an increasing cost and a growing environmental challenge for developed countries. This Conference provides an ideal forum for all stakeholders representing diverse constituencies to meet with policy makers and look at what is available now (fossil fuels, renewable sources) and consider what may be the most appropriate mix, depending on specific circumstances”linija
Gerhard-Schroder
Gerhard Schröder
Former Chancellor of Germany and Chairman of the Inaugural Energy Pact Conference
Global challenges can only be met if country and continent boundaries are left behind and joint action plans are implemented. For the European Union for instance, energy security rests on three pillars: sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply. All of these goals are of equal importance and common challenges for both business leaders and politicians. Above all, a global connected world needs a competitive infrastructure, a sustainable energy mix, and secure energy supplies. But these efforts are affected by two major challenges: climate change and the increasing competition for fossil fuels. Changes to the climate represent a huge threat since the social and ecological impact they make, have the potential to disrupt geopolitical stability. They also represent an economic danger, since the costs resulting from environmental damage are tremendous. Therefore, the need for an international accord and an integrated approach on energy, environment and development is high. The issues need to be addressed today and an international platform such as the Energy Pact Conference provides a forum to tackle the challenges together.
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Robert-N.-Stavins
Robert N. Stavins
Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program
The nations of the world confront a tremendous challenge in designing and implementing an effective and sensible international policy response to the threat of global climate change — a response that is scientifically sound, economically rational, and politically pragmatic. The relatively wealthy, developed countries are responsible for a majority of the anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) that have already accumulated in the atmosphere, but developing countries will emit more GHGs over this century than the currently industrialized nations if no efforts are taken to alter their course of development. The architecture of a robust international climate change policy will need to take into account the many dimensions and consequences of this issue with respect to the environment, the economy, energy, and development.
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T

Mostafa-K.Tolba_
Mostafa K.Tolba
President, International Centre for Environment and Development (ICED) – Former Executive Director – United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP )
The environment is a complicated dynamic system, with many interacting components. Our Knowledge of these components, of the interactions between them, and of the relationship between people, resources, environment and development has undergone profound evolution over the past two decades. We now realize that unless development is guided by environmental, social, cultural and ethical considerations, much of it will continue to have undesired effects, to provide reduced benefits or even fail altogether. Such “Unsustainable” development will only exacerbate the environmental problems that already exist. We all must come to terms with the reality of resource limitations and the carrying capacities of ecosystems. We must pursue plans that would not lead to conflicts over such limited resources and that would lead to sustainable development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy theirs.
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V

Valladao
Alfredo Valladao
Institut d’études politiques, Sciences Po, Paris
The world’s energy matrix is probably the main strategic issue of the 21st century. There will be no progress in the fight against hunger and poverty, and no way of keeping acceptable welfare standards without sustainable economic growth. And this will not be possible without a huge revolution on the way we produce and consume energy. The emerging economies of the South, with their dynamic growth rates and growing energy consumption are part of the problem. But they can – and will – be part of the solution. This conference is a timely event in this moment of crisis and opportunities where the search for new ideas and paradigms has become an urgent task.


V

Ernst-Ulrich-von-Weizsacker
Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker
Co-Chair, International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management, Germany
Lifting a ten kilograms weight from the sea level to the top of Mont Blanc requires roughly one seventh of a kilowatthour. This simple calculation indicates that we are wasting energy no end. Technically, there is scope for increasing energy productivity tenfold, or more. Why is it not done? Because it’s not profitable under the conditions of today’s low energy prices. It’s like with human labour. Under the conditions of slavery or indecently low wages, investors would have shun robotics. Second in priority is renewable energy. The German feed-in tariffs have shown the way.
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Wang-Yuan
Wang Yuan
Chief Economist, China Development Bank
Financial service is a significant component of the economic and social life. In dealing with global challenges ranging from financial crisis, climate change, income discrepancy to energy and food safety, sustainable finance plays an indispensable role. China Development Bank is the world’s largest development finance institution and China’s largest bank engaged in overseas investment and financing cooperation. It is our hope that social justice, economic fairness and ecological equilibrium would consist a bigger leverage in our future financial services.
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James-Zhan
James Zhan
Director, Investment and Enterprise Division, UNCTAD
Investment in clean energy in emerging economies has increased hugely in the past few years. These economies not only have the demand for clean energy but are rapidly developing the technology and have become leading producers and exporters. The question for the international community now, is how to spread these benefits to other developing economies and leverage private domestic and foreign investment in the sector, to provide both environmental and economic solutions.

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