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PRESS RELEASE Energy: Our Future Revolves Around
Getting it Right New York, 20 September ¾ A prosperous, equitable and
environmentally sustainable world is within our reach, but only if
governments adopt new policies to encourage the delivery of energy services
in cleaner and more efficient ways. This is the main conclusion of the World Energy Assessment: Energy and the
Challenge of Sustainability, a major new report produced jointly by the
United Nations Development Programme, the UN Department of Economic and
Social Affairs and the World Energy Council, an organization representing
major energy suppliers. The report draws on the findings of nearly one
hundred scientists, energy experts, social researchers and development
practitioners from around the world. The report finds “there are no
fundamental technological, economic or resource limits constraining the world
from enjoying the benefits of both high levels of energy services and a
better environment.” It puts to rest
the idea, common just 25 years ago, that the world is running out of fossil
energy. It disputes the notion that
we have to choose between economic growth and environmental protection. But the report also concludes that
broad-based economic development in the 21st century will depend
on the implementation of far-sighted policies and pricing mechanisms to
encourage greater energy efficiency, more reliance on renewable resources and
advanced energy technologies. Despite abundant global resources, two
billion people struggle to meet their basic needs due to limited access to
modern energy supplies. The productivity and health of a third of humanity
are diminished by a reliance on traditional fuels and technologies, with
women and children suffering most. Current methods of energy production,
distribution and use worldwide are major contributors to environmental
problems including global warming
and ecosystem degradation at the local, regional and global levels. The report concludes that these problems
could be addressed through changes in public policy and private sector
initiatives. However, since energy
systems are capital intensive and have long lifetimes, new approaches are
needed now or the world may find itself locked into unsustainable patterns of
energy production and use resulting from current investment decisions. According to the report, the three
fundamental changes needed to simultaneously address social, economic and
environmental challenges are: ·
More
efficient use of energy (about two-thirds of global energy is wasted in
conversion processes from raw materials to useful energy) ·
A
greater reliance on modern renewable energy resources (which account for just
2 percent of the global fuel mix) ·
Accelerated
development and diffusion of new energy technologies, including cleaner,
safer ways of using fossil fuels. “At the Millennium Summit, I asserted
that no responsibility is greater than that of enabling men, women and
children, in cities and villages around the world, to make their lives
better,” said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. “This report clearly shows
that energy is inextricably linked to this goal – and that it can be achieved
while also protecting the ability of future generations to sustain their
lives on this planet.” The unique collaboration on the report
among two UN agencies and the World Energy Council, which represents the
world’s major energy suppliers, underscores another of the report’s key
messages: Meeting the energy-related challenges ahead will require both the
dynamism of the private sector and
enlightened public policies to guide it. The report concludes
that with appropriate incentives, the private sector can play an enormously
powerful role in driving technological progress and bringing energy services
to the world’s poor. But government guidance and regulations are crucial,
because without them the market will not meet the needs of the poor, nor will
it protect the environment. “This report does not minimize the challenges ahead, which are
indeed daunting. But it also clearly shows that we have the tools to meet
them,” said Chair Professor José Goldemberg, a former science, environment
and education minister of Brazil. “We are at a crossroads in term of our
energy future. If we fail to take the right turns, we have no one but
ourselves to blame.” #
# # The World Energy
Assessment benefited from generous contributions from the governments of
Austria, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Energy Foundation for the editorial
phase and from the United Nations Foundation for the consultative and
outreach processes. WORLD ENERGY ASSESSMENT (Sales No. E.00.III.B.5, ISBN 92-1-126126-0) forthcoming from United Nations Publications, Two UN Plaza, Room DC2-853, Dept. PRES, New York NY 10017 USA, Tel.800-253-9646 or
212-963-8302, Fax.212-963-3489, E-mail: publications@un.org; or Palais des Nations,
CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, Tel.41-22-917-2614, Fax.41-22-917-0027,
E-mail: unpubli@unog.ch;
Internet: http://www.un.org/publications
For further
information please contact: Elli Kaplan,
tel: (212) 906-5322, fax: (212) 906-5364
elli.kaplan@undp.org Trygve
Olfarnes, tel: (212) 906-6606, fax: (212) 906-5364 trygve.olfarnes@undp.org Caitlin Allen,
tel: (212) 906-6068, fax: (212) 906-5148 caitlin.allen@undp.org Natabara
Rollosson, tel: (212) 906-6651, fax: (212) 906-5148 natabara.rollosson@undp.org Website: http://ww.undp.org/seed/eap/activities/wea |