Summary: April 28, 2004: Keynote address: "The potential of renewable energy for sustainable development" by Ms Margot Wallstrőm, European Commissioner for Environment. CSD High-level segment. Side event on "Renewable Energies" hosted by the German Minister of Environment J. Trittin (New York)
Is it strange to talk about renewable energy when we're here in New York to deal mainly with water issues?
If you agree that climate change is one of the biggest threats to our future, and
If you consider it plausible that climate change will only aggravate the critical importance of water, and
If you agree that renewable energy is one of the key solutions for addressing climate change and therefore for achieving long-term sustainable development
Then the link is easily made.
I will save you the many examples indicating that climate change is happening.
Let me rather focus on just two key EU response measures that we have already taken.
Firstly, and since 1997, we adopted a European White and Green Paper and related Directives that have set several EU renewable energy targets for 2010.
In view of the upcoming World Conference in Bonn, the Commission is currently preparing a communication on the state of development of renewable energy in the EU and assessing "distance to targets".
It will report that all Member States have adopted national targets for the share of electricity production from renewable energy. The share of electricity from renewable sources should come close to the set 22% target, compared to 14% in 2001.
However, current national policies and measures will probably bring the share only up to 18-19% in 2010. This is of course a source of concern and further action will be required.
As regards overall energy consumption, the Union has since 1997 been working towards a target of a 12% share of renewable energy. By 2001, that share had reached only 6%.
Since that date, the Community has thus adopted new legislation.
As well as the directive on electricity from renewables, this legislation covers biofuels, energy performance of buildings, cogeneration and the efficiency of a variety of appliances.
Further proposals on eco-design requirements, energy services and energy efficiency are under review as we speak.
Let us indeed never loose sight of the fact that renewable energy is not the only answer to climate change and security of supply. We also need dramatic improvements in the efficiency with which we produce and use energy.
The second key response measure is of course the EU Emission Trading scheme, which is the world's first multi-national emissions trading scheme.
Under this scheme, the Member States are issuing allowances as to how much CO2 regulated companies are allowed to emit. These allowances will be tradable so that those that emit less can sell their excess allowances, and those that emit more can buy them.
By effectively introducing a carbon price, this scheme will certainly provide an important boost for increasing the use of renewable energy sources.
In addition to the domestic action referred to till now, the EU remains strongly committed to international dialogue, co-operation and solidarity on clean technologies and renewables in particular.
When it became clear at the World Summit on Sustainable Development that no measurable and time-bound targets to increase the share of renewable energy would be agreed, we launched the "Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition" - a coalition which now includes 87 like-minded countries that are committed to promoting renewable energy by co-operating on the basis of national and regional targets.
In June last year, I had the pleasure of hosting the first ministerial conference of this Coalition.
Through the Coalition, we have since started to strengthen the dialogue between industrialised and developing countries with a view to adopting ambitious national and regional targets as a prerequisite for achieving an urgent and significant increase in the global share of renewable energy.
The Coalition has also established that targets are of prime importance in attracting the necessary investment to the extent that they mitigate the political risk.
But whilst dialogue is key, I am particularly keen to move from words to deeds.
That's why, through the JREC secretariat, the Commission launched two key initiatives following the first conference and in particular to support the developing country members of the JREC family:
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