COMMITTEE ON NEW AND RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY BEGINS SECOND SESSION
Press Release
EN/228
COMMITTEE ON NEW AND RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY BEGINS SECOND SESSION
19960212 The Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development this morning elected E.V.R. Sastry, expert from India, Chairman of its second session, as it began its 11-day meeting at Headquarters.The Committee, whose members are nominated by governments and elected by the Economic and Social Council, postponed the election of its three Vice- Chairmen and Rapporteur. Also this morning, the Committee approved its programme of work and agenda which covers energy and sustainable development, with a focus on biomass; efficient use of energy and materials; protection of the atmosphere; and energy-related activities of the United Nations system.
Established by General Assembly resolution 46/235 as part of the restructuring and reorganization of the Economic and Social Council, the Committee has taken over energy questions formerly handled by the Committee on Natural Resources. It also addresses issues contained in Agenda 21, adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, pertaining to energy and related programmes and activities.
Following his election, Mr. Sastry said the Committee should not hesitate to set targets for global action, for example, regarding trends on energy consumption. Governments and international agencies closely considered its reports, he said, adding that the Committee might think about suggesting concrete actions within the United Nations itself.
In an opening statement, the Under-Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, Nitin Desai, underscored the importance of the Committee's session, noting that the April meeting of the Commission for Sustainable Development would focus on energy questions. The subject would also come up at the 1997 five-year follow-up review by the General Assembly of the Earth Summit.
He said the work of the Committee, the only body in which energy issues in all their aspects were discussed, was highly valued. The financial crisis of the Organization had directly affected the Committee's work, and that it had, at one stage, been considered postponing its current session for a year.
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One other reason for the decision to convene the session was the need, in the area of sustainable development, to bring expert opinion to bear on political decision-making, he stated.
In an exchange of views on the Committee's agenda and programme of work, some experts raised questions about reaction of governments to reports and recommendations of the Committee, on "security" in energy and on the effect of the Organization's restructuring on energy-related activities of the United Nations system. It was noted that security in energy should refer not only to market prices, but also to reliability of energy delivery, diversity in energy sources, conservation, renewability of resources and safety concerns, such as with nuclear power. A suggestion was made for the Committee to consider requesting priority to be given to energy issues by the Economic Commission for Europe.
Joke Waller-Hunter, Director, Division on Sustainable Development, introduced a report containing, among others, the background and action taken on recommendations of the Committee since its first and special sessions, in 1994 and 1995, respectively. She said, based on recommendations of the Committee, the Commission on Sustainable Development had encouraged governments to integrate action on energy into their efforts for sustainable agriculture and rural development.
Ms. Waller-Hunter also said governments had been urged to support and facilitate efforts of interested developing countries in their transition towards the sustainable use of an appropriate mix of fossil and renewable sources of energy for rural communities. A letter had been sent by the Secretariat to all Permanent Representatives to the United Nations requesting views of their respective governments on the format in which the Committee should present its work, but only six Member States had responded.
Responding to some of the questions raised by the experts, Ms. Waller-Hunter said it was not uncommon that only a few governments responded to requests for comments on certain specific issues. At the meeting of the Economic and Social Council last July, no government representative had objected to the form in which the Committee's reports had been presented. She suggested that the Committee should elaborate its recommendations to the Council in whatever form it thought appropriate.
Borjana Schieber, of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women, said recommendations of the Committee were included in the Institute's work. Five major areas had been identified for research covering energy transition; indirect impact on health of fuel scarcity; sustainable transport systems; forestry, deforestation and desertification; and rural electrification. The Institute believed that macro-level energy policies would focus attention on women's needs and requirements only on the basis of gender-specific data and statistics that
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realistically reflected women's unpaid work and contributions to economic growth and social well-being.
Statements at this morning's meeting were made by Committee experts from the Netherlands, Algeria, Russian Federation and Germany.
The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. today to begin its analysis of energy and sustainable development and to elect its remaining officers.
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