Global Consensus for Radical Change to a Sustainable Energy Economy

ISEO-Newsletter Summer Issue 2009

Global Consensus for radical change to a Sustainable Energy Economy The important role of Communities for Sustainable Development

CONTENTS: UN Agency for Renewable Energy ► Heavy political weight for new progressive Energy Economy ICLEI World Congress in Edmonton, Canada ► The Power of Cities for Sustainable Development

New UN Agency for Renewable Energies Powerful United Arab Emirates delegation After 20 years efforts for more UN support on sustainable energy and an initial IRENA session in The candidates for the IRENA headquarters were Bonn on 26 January 2009 a historic step forward was Bonn, Vienna and Abu Dhabi. The UAE triumphed made in Sharm El Sheikh. The 136 Member States of over Germany and Austria, who withdrew their bids IRENA participated in the second session of the just before the voting. Thanks to the generous Preparatory Commission to decide on the IRENA support by the UAE government in the visionary headquarters and its interim Director-General. The spirit of their founder and his sons, who initiated conference took place on June 29-30, chaired by Dr. MASDAR, the first sustainable, clean city of the Hayyan Yunes, Egyptian Minister of Power and world, IRENA can now be headquartered there. Electricity.

Historic opening ceremony of IRENA at Sharm El H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Sheikh Foreign Minister (far right), introducing part of the UAE team and their vision of MASDAR and Martina Sumenjak Sabol, Vice President of ISEO and IRENA with H.E. Reem Al Hashimi, Minister of President of the Slovenian Biomass Association State, H.E. Mohammad Al Hamli, Minister of SLOBIOM, attended the event. She was involved from Environment & Water, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the beginning at the first World Clean Energy MASDAR Managing Director & CEO, H.E. Maitha Congress in Geneva in 1991, where the idea for such a Al Shamsi, Minister of State, H.E Rashid bin UN agency emerged after initial CMDC clean energy Da’en, Minister for Energy, H.E Lubna Al conferences in 1989 and 1990 in Zurich, ahead of the Qassimi .Minister for Foreign Trade (from left to UNCED Rio Summit for Environment and Development right). with a strong UN leaders presence and energy and environment prominence of the world such as Martina Sumenjak Sabol, who has personally met Professors Klaus Töpfer, first German Minister of the late founder of the UAE H.H. Sheikh Zayed Environment, Wuppertal Institute Dean E.U. von bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and is writing a book about Weizsäcker, EU energy advisor C.B. von der Decken, the UAE Vision for the Future, is sure, that the Law School Deans Richard Ottinger and Adrian decision for Abu Dhabi was an important Bradbrook, IPCC founder Bert Bolin, Professors Nicolas historical step for sustainable development all Polunin, Wilfrid Bach, D.O. Hall, Dr. Hermann Scheer over the globe. MdB, WEC Director D.A. Davis and Gustav R. Grob with many Energy Ministers from around the globe. Four candidates for the interim Director-General Martina Sumenjak Sabol came from Slovenia just post from Greece, Spain, Denmark and France when it gained its sovereign independence as a new were nominated. The winner was Hélène Pelosse UN member nation. from France. She is currently Deputy Head of Staff in the office of the French Minister of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Town and Country Planning in charge of international affairs. She managed the French negotiations for the EU’s Climate and Energy package, focusing on the Renewable Energy Directive. She was responsible for the Renewable Energy Plan for France, took a part in several international climate negotiations and

International Sustainable Energy Organisation for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency ISEO, POB 200, CH1211 Geneva 20 - Tel: +41-22-910-3006 - Fax: +41-22-910-3014 e-mail: [email protected] - http://www.uniseo.org was intimately engaged with international founder of ICLEI and celebrated urban strategist, organisations in the field of energy during her career reflected on the past, present and the exciting future like IEA, UNEP and UNDP. Ms. Pelosse is qualified to of ICLEI as a growing membership organization lead IRENA in cooperation with other international which started among a group of 35 cities twenty organizations towards a new global renewable years ago and is now 1100 Members strong. energy paradigm. ICLEI members witnessed a wide range of global scenarios presented by experts such as Mathis Wackernagel the co-creator of the Ecological Footprint concept. In smaller focus groups participants discussed how to respond to the urgency of change. Gathering inputs from these focus groups and other meetings, ICLEI is drafting a strategic plan for the next six years. Other highlights and accomplishments included the introduction of ‘ICLEI Asia’; a unit that will serve Asian local governments. The announcement was made by all four ICLEI offices in Asia and seen as a positive development by the assembled Council. 10 Ambassador of Grenada Dessima M. Wiiliams, Hélène % of ICLEI members are in Asia making up 40% of Pelosse, IRENA Director General and Martina 400 millions citizens represented by ICLEI Members Sumenjak Sabol, ISEO VP worldwide. Municipal Leaders Share Consensus on Radical, Rapid Action on Sustainability Edmonton, Canada - The ICLEI World Congress 2009 wrapped up in Edmonton (Canada) on 18 June 2009. Over 600 delegates from 57 countries came together for the five-day, triennial conference to learn about local sustainability initiatives making a global difference, with

SG Konrad Otto-Zimmermann chairing the panel

An international conference to be held in Asia next year shall not only consolidate the growth of ICLEI in that region, but it will also celebrate the 20th anniversary of the organization.

ICLEI’s members have again expressed a strong will to include the role of local governments in the next global climate agreement. They will meet again in Gustav R. Grob of the International Sustainable Energy large numbers in December 2009 to contribute to the Organisation ISEO & ICEC speaking about Urban Self- UN Climate Change Conference, which will be held Sufficiency with Sustainable Energy & Clean Mobility. in Copenhagen, Denmark. "We need to transform the way in which we live on this The ICLEI movement emerged with a renewed planet and you are the people to do that. You are the enthusiasm to build a worldwide movement of local local leaders and you need to reach out to your regional governments to achieve tangible improvements in leaders, to your national leaders, to companies who are global sustainability. your suppliers. You need to say if we as cities around the world can make this transformation, come with us - The thrust to create so-called “clean” energy projects be part of this." said David Cadman, President of ICLEI is hampered by a poor financial risk perception, and Deputy-Mayor from Vancouver, Canada. need for big capital investments and policies that still favour conventional sources of energy, an official of Throughout the Congress a strong sense of unity and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently agreement was shared amongst ICLEI Members, announced. recognizing the need for faster and more radical action to advance local sustainability. There was a wide Stating at the Asia Clean Energy Forum at the ADB consensus in ICLEI council sessions to adopt proposals headquarters this week, Private Sector Operations ranging from supporting young municipal leaders to Department Director-General Philip Erquiaga said a advancing ICLEI’s work in urban biodiversity. new energy policy is required with a new perception of risk. Clean energy technologies should no longer Cadman challenged the organization to double its called “experimental,” and financially risky. membership by the next World Congress in 2012, just as it has done in the last three years. Jeb Brugmann, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Senior VP for financial markets Marcelo E. Ayes agreed that many International Sustainable Energy Organisation for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency ISEO, POB 200, CH1211 Geneva 20 - Tel: +41-22-910-3006 - Fax: +41-22-910-3014 e-mail: [email protected] - http://www.uniseo.org of the companies producing such new energy technology have difficulty accessing credit because they don’t have a long track record with innovations. Energy Assistant Secretary Mario C. Marasigan, chief of the ADB Renewable Energy Bureau, stated the government has addressed the concern over policy drawbacks, citing Republic Act 9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, which provides fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for renewable energy investors, involving tax credits on domestic capital equipment and services, special tax rates on equipment and machinery, amidst others. This will bring down the price of technology and make clean renewable energy competitive with polluting conventional energy. The law is a clear indicator that this Philippine government prioritizes renewable energy. More details on ICLEI activities and its congress on web portal http://www.iclei.org/worldcongress2009

International Sustainable Energy Organisation for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency ISEO, POB 200, CH1211 Geneva 20 - Tel: +41-22-910-3006 - Fax: +41-22-910-3014 e-mail: [email protected] - http://www.uniseo.org