COMMITTEE ON NEW AND RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY CONCLUDES TWO-WEEK SESSION

26 February 1996

Press Release
EN/238

COMMITTEE ON NEW AND RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY CONCLUDES TWO-WEEK SESSION

19960226 UN Conference Proposed on Energy for Twenty-First Century

The Economic and Social Council would invite Member States of the United Nations to convene in the year 2001 a United Nations conference on energy for the twenty-first century, by the terms of a draft resolution approved by the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development, as it concluded its two-week session on Friday evening, 23 February and adopted its report to the Council.

The proposed conference, which would take place on the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy held at Nairobi, would seek to mobilize world opinion on energy and sustainable development. Also by the draft, the Economic and Social Council would ask the Secretary-General to examine the feasibility of the proposed conference and to report to the General Assembly during its fifty-second session in 1997.

By the terms of a draft decision approved by the Committee, the Economic and Social Council would urge international financial organizations to dedicate a larger proportion of their funds to research and development aimed at energy and materials efficiency and at renewable energy development. That funding should be undertaken with a view to facilitating the commercialization of renewable energy and to achieving a more sustainable mix in national energy consumption. The Economic and Social Council would also state the need to continue subsidies and other support for the development of renewable energy, so long as conventional energy sources continue to receive direct and indirect subsidies.

Also by that draft decision, the Economic and Social Council would reiterate the necessity of expanding and accelerating decentralized rural electrification programmes in developing countries. It would also state that regional initiatives should be taken with regard to the development and use of energy sources. The Economic and Social Council would also recommend the establishment of a database accessible to the public of ongoing projects and programmes in the field of energy development for the public, and make the

report of the Committee available to the Commission on Sustainable Development, the Commission on Human Settlements and to the Conference of parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change.

By the terms of another draft resolution approved by the Committee, the Economic and Social Council would request the Secretary-General, in consultation with regional commissions and other bodies of the United Nations system, to study means of enhancing the capability of the system with regard to sustainable development, including the establishment of a dedicated institution or the expansion of the mandate of an existing one.

Finally, the Committee approved the provisional agenda for its third session in 1998. That agenda would include discussion of: environmentally sound and efficient fossil fuels technologies; renewable sources of energy with special emphasis on wind energy; development and implementation of rural energy policies; and issues related to energy and transportation. The Committee would also discuss medium-term planning in energy, and the proposed United Nations conference on energy for the twenty-first century.

Committee Chairman E.V.R. Sastry, expert from India, said that in addition to its technical recommendations, the Committee had proposed a new initiative in the proposed energy conference for the twenty-first century. By requesting that its report be brought to the attention of other deliberative bodies, the Committee was furthering cooperation within the United Nations system, he said.

Conclusions and Recommendations

During the session, and within the context of "energy and sustainable development", the Committee focused attention on four subjects, based on the reports of the Secretary-General: the development of energy resources in developing countries; progress and policies in the development and use of renewable sources of energy, with emphasis on biomass; efficient use of energy and materials; and the relationship between energy and protection of the atmosphere. The latter was also discussed as an input to the fourth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development next April, at which protection of the atmosphere will be one of the major agenda items.

Among the Committee's conclusions and recommendations contained in its reports on those subjects, the Committee called for the development and implementation of new and sustainable energy strategies. Noting that the basis of world energy supply would continue to be oil, gas and coal, the Committee said there was a need for greater partnership between governments, the private sector, international organizations and energy users for sustainable use of those resources.

The Committee noted that while world energy supplies remained stable, more than 2 billion people in developing countries had little access to

Energy Committee - 3 - Press Release EN/238 11th Meeting (PM) 23 February 1996

commercial energy resources, a situation which impeded their social and economic development. In the countries with economies in transition, the economic crisis of recent years had led to a decline in the demand and production of energy, which was the main reason for lower growth in energy production in the world and on regional energy markets.

The Committee said further development of the world energy system should not endanger the quality of life of present and future generations nor exceed the carrying capacity of the ecosystem. The use of scarce resources to fulfil present energy needs should not compromise the needs of future generations. That would require efficient use of resources and the timely development of alternatives. Efficiency was also required to reduce the production of wastes, the Committee stated.

The Committee said adequate energy supplies were urgently needed in developing countries and were an essential prerequisite for sustainable development in the industrialized world and in transition economies. Supplies should be secure, reliable and affordable and they should be developed in a socially acceptable manner.

In its conclusions on medium-term planning and coordination in energy, the Committee recommended that the Secretary-General consider strengthening coordination among organizations in the United Nations system in the field of energy. It also recommended the possibility of strengthening the energy activities of the organizations of the United Nations system by streamlining their mandates and urged increased public awareness of energy and sustainable development.

In following up its first and special sessions, held in 1994 and 1995 respectively, the Committee underscored the importance of energy issues being accorded priority in the development process. Given that it was the only body within the United Nations system which dealt with all aspects of energy, the Committee said it should retain its present status. Its substantive deliberations could provide valuable inputs to the Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly, the Commission on Sustainable Development and other bodies, the Committee said.

The Committee also took note of the progress of the World Solar Summit, which will take place in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September and will be preceded by a meeting of the world solar commission. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is involved in the organization of the Summit.

Committee Background

The General Assembly, by resolution 46/235 of 13 April 1992, established the Committee on New and Renewable Sources of Energy and on Energy for Development with the task of providing policy options and recommendations to

Energy Committee - 4 - Press Release EN/238 11th Meeting (PM) 23 February 1996

the Economic and Social Council. The Committee was given the mandate of the former Committee on the Development and Utilization of New and Renewable Sources of Energy, including the consideration of its relation to environment and development. In addition, the Committee took over the mandate of the Committee on Natural Resources pertaining to energy. Since the adoption by the General Assembly of Agenda 21 of the Rio Conference on Environment and Development, the mandate of the Committee had also included energy in relation to sustainable development as defined by Agenda 21.

The first session of the Committee took place in New York from 7 to 18 February 1994, during which the Committee considered various issues relating to energy and sustainable development and presented to the Economic and Social Council a number of recommendations for action at the national and international level. The Council, at its substantive session in November 1994, reaffirmed the importance of continuing the Committee's work. The Committee held a special session in February/March 1995 devoted to energy for rural development. On the basis of the Committee's recommendations, the Commission on Sustainable Development encouraged governments to integrate action on energy into their efforts for sustainable agriculture and rural development.

Membership of Committee

The resolution establishing the Committee provided for 24 members to be nominated by governments and elected by the Economic and Social Council. At present the Committee has 20 members, 19 of whom attended the second session. The Committee meets once every two years.

Members of the Committee are: Marcelino K. Actouka (Federated States of Micronesia); Mohammad Al Ramadhan (Kuwait); Christian Aatoki Ileka (Zaire); Messaoud Boumaour (Algeria); Jose Luis Bozzo (Uruguay); Bernard Devin (France); Paul-Georg Gutermuth (Germany); Wolfgang Hein (Austria); Virgil Musatescu (Romania); Valeri Andreev Nikov (Bulgaria); Ziolo Rodas Rodas (Paraguay); Juan Camilo Restrepo Salazar (Colombia); Mohammed Salem Sarur Al- Sabban (Saudi Arabia); E.V.R. Sastry (India); Mohamed M. Shawkat (Egypt); Wilhelmus C. Turkenburg (Netherlands); William Sebastiao Penido Vale (Brazil); Dmitri B. Volfberg (Russian Federation); Zhang Goucheng (China); and William Michael Mebane (Italy).

Officers of the Committee's second session were: Mr. Sastry (India), Chairman; Mr. Boumaour (Algeria); Mr. Volfberg (Russian Federation) and Mr. Bozzo (Uruguay), Vice-Chairmen; and Mr. Turkenburg (Netherlands), Rapporteur.

* *** *