14th Meeting of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD-14)
The Permanent Mission of Iceland
to the United Nations
Statement by
Ambassador Gunnar Pálsson
Director, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
at the
Fourteenth Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
Energy for Sustainable Development, Industrial Development
Air Pollution/atmosphere and climate change
New York, 1 May 2006
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The Permanent Mission of Iceland to the United Nations
800 Third Ave. 36th fl. - Tel 212-593-2700. - Fax 212-593-6269
From the time world leaders recognized energy as a critical element in efforts to achieve sustainable development in Johannesburg four years ago, the role of energy has steadily grown more prominent.
Energy services are a pivotal part of our economic wellbeing and security in the industrialized world. Providing energy access in developing countries is seen as key to alleviating poverty. At the same time, we are learning more and more of the complex relationship between the use of energy resources and changes in the global climate. As we meet for this 14th session of the CSD, it is the confluence of all these factors that defines the magnitude of the task before us.
In a sense, the world finds itself at crossroads. Global energy demand is expected to rise by some 60% by 2030, the lion´s share of that increase coming from the developing world. Such an increase, if based on past energy structures, could come at a considerable cost in terms of global warming, air quality and public health. The challenge that all our countries face is to kill two birds with one stone; to find a way to safeguard the world´s ecosystem, while at the same time raising the level of human wellbeing and fostering economic growth.
For some, the two goals might seem hardly reconcilable, especially given the patterns of consumption in the industrialized world. But we should not have to make a choice between higher living standards and a clean environment. Much can be done to eliminate the worst excesses of the carbon based economy; improving energy efficiency and promoting research and development in carbon capture and geological storage.
Globally, we will in all likelihood have to live with the carbon-based economy for some time to come. But over the long term we will also have to reduce our dependency on fossil energy and substantially expand the share of renewables in world energy demand. This could prove the most effective way of advancing the transition to a global energy system for sustainable development.
Renewable energy, already the third electricity generation source worldwide (after coal and gas), offers various economic, environmental, security and reliability benefits as compared with fossil fuels. As was recognized at the Bonn conference in 2004, renewable energy will create new opportunities for cooperation among all countries. The conference estimated that up to 1 billion people could be given access to energy services from renewable sources.
The basic technologies that would enable us to attain that goal are already at hand. What is needed is an enabling policy framework and leadership. We should stimulate the competitiveness of renewable energy supplies in the market-place, eliminate bias and establish a level playing field. This would include factoring in the costs and benefits to the ecosystem as a whole of the different resource options, as suggested in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. IFIs should be encouraged to raise the profile of renewables in their lending strategies and we should strive for better coordination on renewables among the various bodies within the United Nations system.
Iceland has a long-standing commitment to international cooperation on the sustainable use of energy. The Geothermal Department of the United Nations University, hosted by Iceland, has for many years been a valuable tool for the sharing of technological expertise and experiences with developing countries. We are also taking an active part in the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy, led by the United States, and hope that the advantages of hydrogen technology may one day enable energy poor developing countries make flexible use of their localized renewable resources.
In confirmation of that commitment, allow me to draw to your attention that Iceland is sponsoring a side event on geothermal technology during the lunch break of May 4, as well as a Hydrogen Learning Center, in cooperation with DESA, in the afternoon of May 8, that you are all welcome to attend.
The Permanent Mission of Iceland
to the United Nations
Statement by
Ambassador Gunnar Pálsson
Director, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
at the
Fourteenth Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
Improving access to reliable, affordable, economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound energy services
New York, 2 May 2006
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The Permanent Mission of Iceland to the United Nations
800 Third Ave. 36th fl. - Tel 212-593-2700. - Fax 212-593-6269
Iceland appreciates the positive twist that our panelists have put on the state of electricity access in the world today. The more than four billion people that do enjoy such access include countries that used to be far behind only a few decades ago. Like some of the countries mentioned, my own country, Iceland, was able to make the transition to full electrification in a relatively short period of time by harnessing its own indigenous energy resources. This could provide encouragement for others. Among the things that may be required is to enable developing countries draw more on their own indigenous energy resources in an affordable way.
There are various ways of doing this, including through the deployment of leap-frogging technologies like hydrogen. It is true that technology for using hydrogen as an energy carrier is still at the development stage and remains as yet quite costly. Nevertheless, it does hold promise as an important component of the sustainable energy economy of the future and many developing countries could in due course derive substantial benefit from it. One of the main advantages of hydrogen technology is that it may enable poor developing countries make flexible use of localized renewable resources such as hydropower, wind, bioenergy, geothermal resources and solar power.
The development of stationary fuel cells for small localized grids is of particular interest, for example, for remote areas. Energy efficient fuel cells could be used for providing electricity for cooking from metangas or other biofuels, that are now burned in open stoves.
Allow me also to say a word or two about geothermal resources for electrical production. To be sure, the share of geothermal resources in world energy supply is expected to remain modest over the medium term. Nevertheless, one of the advantgages of geothermal technology is that it is based on proven technologies with a century of practical experience behind it.
Contrary to what many people think, economically exploitable geothermal resources are available in many areas, including developing countries, and may be a major renewable energy resource for at least 58 countries.
The two options that I have mentioned for drawing more on hydrogen use and geothermal resources in developing countries may seem expensive or high tech to many. But coming back to the experience of my own country, I can assure you that what is high-tech today may be part of a mainstream practice tomorrow, given the right incentives and an enabling environment.
The Permanent Mission of Iceland
to the United Nations
Statement by
Ambassador Gunnar Pálsson
Director, Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
at the
Fourteenth Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
Meeting the growing need for energy services through increased use of renewable energy, greater reliance on advanced energy technologies, including advanced and fossil fuel technologies
New York, 3 May 2006
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The Permanent Mission of Iceland to the United Nations
800 Third Ave. 36th fl. - Tel 212-593-2700. - Fax 212-593-6269
We all know that when it comes to meeting the foreseeable increase in world energy demand there is no silver bullet. Instead, we will most likely have to make do with a diversified mix of solutions, including both fossil fuels and renewables, combined in a flexible way to achieve maximum efficiency.
The precise mix will, of course, vary from country to country. In my own country, basically all electricity and space heating is derived from clean renewable energy resources, hydro- and geothermal, constituting three quarters of the country´s energy use. Steps are being taken to increase the utilization of sustainable energy resources even further, inter alia through the use of new and foreward-looking technologies. Hydrogen technology is one option we are seriously pursuing with partners on both sides of the Atlantic for using local renewable energy resources to produce a pollution free energy carrier for vehicles and ships.
For many years, it has also been the policy of my government to increase the use of renewable energy resources by offering Iceland to other countries as a site for power intensive industries, thus contributing to the reduction of global greenhouse emissions and displacing pollution that might otherwise occur elsewhere.
In the future, we will need a pragmatic approach in trying to meet growing world demand for energy services. Different strokes will work for different people. At the same time, Iceland is of the view that the most effective way to advance the transition to a global energy system for sustainable development would be through substantially expanding the share of renewable energy in world energy demand.
Iceland stands ready to contribute to that transition as best we can.
