The meeting was organized as part of the series of meetings foreseen by the Executive Board in its decision entitled " UNESCO at 70 and future prospects" (194 EX/Decision 31).
Invited guests included:
Mr Didier Houssin, Director of the Division for Sustainable Energy Policy and Technology, and Mr Jérôme Ferrier, President of the International Gas Union
Introduction by the Chairperson of the Executive Board, H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Sameh Amr:
Thanking his guests for having accepted his invitation to attend this session, the Chairperson recalled that holding a meeting on new energy and sustainable development was important, considering the fact that many events were being organized in 2015, notably: the International al Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies for which UNESCO is the lead UN agency as the only agency within the UN system that have a scientific mandate. It is also the 70th anniversary of the Organizations creation and later in the year, governments will commit to the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda. Calling climate change “one of the most pressing challenges on the international agenda today”, the Chairperson of the Board said that “UNESCO has a vital role to play as a global promoter of “green development’”.
Opening remarks by the representative of the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Maciej Nalecz, Director of the Division of Science Policy and Capacity-Building:
The representative of the Director-General placed emphasis on the role and importance of climate change in each of our own realities. He also mentioned the use of renewable energy as a tool that will enable sustainable development, which will be possible particularly through greater use of technological innovations.
Presentation by Mr Didier Houssin, Director of the Division for Sustainable Energy Policy and Technology
Mr Houssin introduced key issues relative to energy. Aside from the scenario in which no effort effort is made to resolve climate change, which, while an eventuality, should be considered as to be excluded, he presented three possible scenarios: (i) one which he called the '6Ds', that is characterized as not being sustainable; (ii) a '2Ds' scenario, which he argues aims to reduce the temperature by two degrees, and (iii) a final scenario, called '4DS', which refers to an intermediate position, in which temperature rises could be capped at four degrees. In any eventuality, he stressed the urgency of a need to move towards an energy transition, stating coldly that “the more time passes, the more expensive the change will be costly.”
Mr. Houssin also mentioned the lack of access to energy for some populations. Today in the world, “1.3 million people are without electricity, and these people are mainly concentrated in ten countries.” Many of them live in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region where “600 million people lack access to electricity” despite the fact that it is an area rich in natural gas and oil, and where renewable energy sources are numerous.
Finally, the Director of the International Energy Agency recalled the messages launched at COP 20 by his organization, at which time the IEA advocated for the inclusion of the decarbonisation of electricity, acceleration towards greater innovation in the energy industry and overall increases in alternative/renewable energy investments.
Presentation by Mr Jérôme Ferrier, President of the International Gas Union
Mr Ferrier welcomed the initiative of the Chairperson of the Executive Board to bring together in a single meeting of the representatives of the International Gas Union (IGU) and the International Energy Agency to exchange around "this cross-cutting theme of renewable energy and natural gas. The President of the International Gas Union recalled that among the 58 members of the Executive Board of UNESCO, 35 were also members of his organization. He stated that gas was "increasingly the cleanest of the fossil fuels” noting that the transition from the use of fossil fuels to alternative sources of energy was some time off.
The President of the IGU then explains that the countries most likely to turn to gas as an energy source are located in Asia and the Middle East. He also reminded the audience that the gas pipeline project "South Stream", which would link Russia to Europe, while currently on hold, could be completed if and when required. Mr Ferrier also demonstrated that the gas could be a factor for peace, citing the "TAPI" pipeline initiative (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India), which could enable a rapprochement between these countries. As for the necessary investments for future plans, the President of IGU said that "The World Bank and the IMF are willing to provide assistance, when a project is considered 'sustainable'."
In conclusion, Mr Ferrier mentioned several of the partnerships that had been made between IGU and other organizations, such as with the World Bank, UNIDO, UNFCCC, Greenpeace Germany or UNESCO. He recalled that one of the outcomes of the partnership with UNESCO and the IGU was the organization of a conference in 2013 on the place of women in the gas industry.
Question and Answer Session with Members of the Executive Board of UNESCO:
Interventions of the representatives were along the following themes:
Priorities to be adopted to ensure energy transition:
The representative of Mexico asked what the long-term goals should be for Member States? Specifically he said: “Should we settle for reduced emissions? What is your opinion regarding the current gas market and its competition with solar energy? What about the pollution reductions curve?”
In response, Mr Ferrier said that efforts should be made by both consumers and retailers. Concerning States, the urgency was based on two major contributors to the World Conference, China and the United States, which should significantly reduce their consumption of coal. As for the major oil and gas companies, they are already in conversion “becoming increasingly gas-oriented.”
For his part, Mr. Houssin said that for the transport sector, States could hardly avoid using coal. As for the inverse of the curve, he explained that this could be explained by residential factors, such as a mild winter in France or the drop of vehicle purchases in the United States. -
Actions in Africa
The representative of Uganda requested more information about the work of both the IEA and the IGU on the continent. The representative of Guinea spoke about the increasing use of renewable energy, such as solar energy, in Africa. The guests mentioned that further information about the actions of their respective organizations can be found on their websites.
The South Stream project and the effects of shale gas:
The representative of Turkey echoed the intervention of Mr. Houssin concerning the South Stream project, since this project has mutated into a road linking Russia to Turkey. The representative also wanted to know what effects could occur in those States that used shale gas. In response, Mr Ferrier said that the use of shale gas resulted from both political and economic decisions, as is the case of Germany, which is moving towards this option, but said that such decisions were “never static.”
Renewable energy:
The representative of Kuwait wished to recieve more information on the place of water as a new energy source. Mr. Houssin said yes, “hydrogen is back in fashion. This is a very promising solution for transport. The hydrogen revolution is a possible scenario.”