Papoulias addresses World Future Energy Summit

Greek President Karolos Papoulias attends the World Future Energy Summit 2010 (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 18 January 2010. World leaders, policy makers, experts and Investors from 100 countries meet in Abu Dhabi to identify real solutions for today's climate change and energy challenges.

JAN 18, 2010

By N. Megadoukas

United Arab Emirates - President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias on Monday stressed that a change of the energy and developmental model with the greatest possible development and exploitation of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), could decisively contribute to combating inequalities and advancing social cohesion at local, regional and national level all the way to European and global level. Greece's President was the keynote speaker at the World Future Energy Summit, which opened Monday in Abu Dhabi, UAE, at the invitation of the UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nayhan. Papoulias described the reality in environmental issues as sombre, following the failure of the Copenhagen global summit on climate change, and stressed the need for promoting green development in order to ensure a viable future.

"Let's not let this chance, perhaps our last, go to waste," he urged.

On the Copenhagen summit, Papoulias stressed that climate change is the biggest challenge faced by mankind today, warning that it threatens the viability of the planet and the future of the coming generations.

The global leaders were obliged to respond to that challenge, he said. Instead of limiting themselves to a "least common denominator" agreement, they should have proceeded to a global, comprehensive and legally binding agreement with specific targets and timetables," the Greek President added.

Papoulias said that the Copenhagen summit's failure "takes on dramatic dimensions if seen as an element of a bigger picture, that of a deep, multi-dimensional crisis -- an economic, social, energy and environmental crisis -- which is connected to the development model we, the 'developed world' adopted and followed in recent years".

"It was a model of greed and licence in the name of profit for the few, a model of over-consumption and waste of the natural resources, a model that constantly widens the old inequalities and creates new ones," Papoulias said, adding that "this 'bigger picture' is a sombre one".

He noted, however, that every crisis also entails an opportunity, and this crisis entails an opportunity for the adoption of policies and measures for the promotion of RES and energy efficiency, which can play a decisive role in the global economy's exit from the crisis and in a speedier recovery.

A social movement was also gradually forming in favor of clean energy, which in turn was prompting the political leaderships towards the path of green development, he said, noting that the EU has committed itself to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and increasing the proportion of overall energy consumption supplied by RES to 20 percent by the year 2020.

This goal, however, was something even wider: "It is about maintaining the lead in the effort against climate change. It is a radical change of direction in production and consumption. It is linked with Europe's effort to enhance energy supply security and to limit its energy dependence on third countries. Finally, it is a structural change of developmental philosophy, in which sustainability, viability, becomes the prevalent concept. Viability not only of the natural resources, but also of the markets -- with the creation of new viable investment opportunities -- and viability of employment, with the creation of new, decentralised jobs," Papoulias continued.

The Greek President stressed that RES can play a decisive role in the "democratisation of energy", because it is now not only the big and powerful countries or the large multinational energy giants that have a place on the global energy market. Small and medium size countries can now also have a say and a role on the 'energy chessboard', and not necessarily industries, but also small and medium-size enterprises, "which are the steam engine of Europe's competitiveness".

But at global level as well, RES can contribute to the democratisation of energy because their potential is inexhaustible also in the developing countries, and especially in the most vulnerable countries, resulting in the opening of immense opportunities for the development and prosperity of the peoples of those countries, thus contributing to reducing the North-South chasm, he said.

"In short, the poor countries may gain power and prospects for prosperity for their populations by taking advantage of the energy of the wind, the earth, the sun and the sea," Papoulias explained.

The President further stressed that the development of RES is "the only credible alternative solution to the problem of depleting the reserves of mineral fuels and global warming. It is the only peaceful choice to ensure resources for global economic growth".

Greece's orientation and priorities are in the direction of Green Development, Papoulias continued, adding that Greece has the manpower and the knowhow for the development of research and business collaborations in the sector of RES and environmental management.

"Our aspiration is to take advantage of the specific abilities at regional level in order to render the country an important center of business and diplomatic activity. For this reason, we place special weight on the Greek initiative for Green Development and cooperation with the countries of the Western Balkans, the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean aimed at confronting climate change," Papoulias said.

"We can and must unite forces in order to ensure the transition to a new era in which growth will be to the benefit of the many and compatible with protection of the environment and the natural resources. And energy, from a means of imposition and power will evolve into a tool for the broadening of democracy, the promotion of prosperity of the peoples, and the ensurance of a viable future for our children," Papoulias stressed.

"Let us not let this opportunity, perhaps our last, to go to waste," the Greek President concluded.

ΠΗΓΗ / SOURCE: ANA

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