First ASEFUAN Dialogue on Climate Change,
Barcelona & Madrid, Spain, 24 - 27 November 2009
Theme
For the inaugural ASEFUAN Dialogue the topic of Sustainable Development and Climate Change has been chosen. In December 2009, World leaders will gather in Copenhagen, Denmark, to take part in the 15thConference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which will provide the basis for global action against climate change (http://www.cop15.dk/). Europe and Asia will have their share of involvement in the event. It was in Kyoto, Japan, that World leaders signed the first Protocol with strong targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the Danish capital will now be the place where new commitments should be agreed upon.
Renewable energy is broadly recognized as being crucial in the fight against climate change. The increasing role of renewables in Asia is a very positive development and illustrates the opportunities that this offers to sustainable development and solving energy security problems. Apart from renewable energy, improvements in energy efficiency and energy conservation, the deployment of new technologies such as electric vehicles and carbon capture and storage will also play a critical role in curbing emissions. For governments it is essential to know what policies are the most effective in supporting a transition to a sustainable energy system, and how these can be best implemented.
In the end, finding ways to meet the growing energy demand in developing nations and not to increase CO2 emissions is one of the major challenges for the 21st century. This would undoubtedly contribute to world peace and stability as it helps to prevent increasing geopolitical tension over energy resources. The different approaches to his challenge will be addressed at different stages of the programme. Spain, as one Europe’s leading countries in the promotion of green energies, can be thus the perfect place to discuss how these challenge is seen in Europe and also in Asia.