Climate change to top the agenda at the World Energy Congress 2013

2nd October 2013

Press ReleaseAsiaEvents

LONDON 2nd October, 2013: The World Energy Congress 2013, which takes place in Daegu, Korea 13-17 October, will bring together the largest gathering of energy and climate change experts since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its report on Friday.

Major discussions will take place throughout the four-day gathering including headline panels featuring:

Christiana Figueres, head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Christopher Rapley, Professor of Climate Science, University College London
Samantha Smith, Leader of Global Climate and Energy Initiative, WWF

Sessions focusing on Climate Change include: 

Overcoming the energy policy trilemma
Energy and climate scenarios: From vision to reality
Renewables: is the honeymoon over?
Climate negotiations: How to bridge the three gaps?
Clean energy without borders
Today’s energy: are we at a tipping point?
Biofuel: beyond fuel in the tank
-  Stalled international energy governance

Christoph Frei, Secretary General of the World Energy Council, said:

“Uncertainty about a future climate framework is among the top issues keeping energy leaders awake at night.  Climate destabilisation has been caused in large part by the production and use of energy. The lack of a global climate framework means that meeting our climate targets will become increasingly slim. The energy sector must play an active role in mitigating further emissions and in adapting the energy infrastructure to become resilient against changing water availability or extreme weather events.

“In the same week as the IPCC released its findings, our World Energy Trilemma report and Energy Sustainability Index show that most countries are still struggling to balance their energy policies. Policymakers, finance, and industry leaders are not aligned on the nature, value and importance of political and institutional risks and their critical impact on infrastructure investment. There is an urgent need for public and private sector leaders to minimise such risks through dialogue and coordinated action, and thereby unleash investments in energy efficiency and affordable forms of low-carbon energy.

“The discussions between climate policy leaders and more than 50 ministers at the World Energy Congress will help provide greater clarity on the urgent next steps needed to deliver on climate goals.”


Hwan-eik Cho, Chairman of the World Energy Congress, added:

“Our Congress could not be held at a better time.  The world is facing many pressing energy challenges, and Asia itself is no exception. The gathering of global energy leaders in Korea presents us with a rare opportunity to develop a consensus across all of the most pressing energy issues.  I look forward to engaging in constructive discussions that will move us closer to our goal of developing a sustainable framework for future energy development.”
 
 
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