Energy Policy
2008: Biomass and Agrofuels
Chairman: Christian Hey, German
Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU)
Working Plan 2008
The WG Energy will follow-up the
EEAC
Statement on Energy Efficiency with dissemination activities.
The core topic for 2008 is biomass EEAC members raised their concern on this
topic during a special session 15th EEAC
Annual Conference in Évora (Portugal).
-
January 2008: the WG Energy held an event with the title 10%
Agrofuels, a wise choice? Many EEAC councils recently produced statements and reports on this topic, some are in
the middle of their elaborations. This workshop brought the results and
discussion of the councils together in order to inform the Brussels Community
on the analysis of experts, scientists and stakeholders in member states.
More
information on "10% Agrofuels, a wise choice?"
▲
Top
2006-2007: 15th EEAC Annual Conference on Energy Efficiency
Chairman: Christian Hey, German
Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU)
Download
EEAC Statement on Energy Efficiency
Download Background material to the EEAC Statement
-
December 2006: the
WG Chair, Christian Hey, together with the Steering Committee chair, Frans
Evers, addressed a letter to Angela Merkel in her capacity as head of the EU
Presidency during the first semester in 2007. In this letter, both chairs
stated that energy efficiency should be considered a top priority for
the EU energy policy agenda.
Download
the letter on Energy Efficiency to Angela Merkel
▲
Top
2005: WG Energy Position Paper on
post-Kyoto CO2 targets
Chairman: Christian Hey, German
Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU)
- December 2004: Following the WG Energy meeting during the Berlin conference in October
2004, the German SRU presented a paper calling for reinforced EU leadership for post
Kyoto targets. Nine EEAC councils recommend that the EU should politically
commit to targets of at least 30% reduction of Greenhouse Gases below 1990
levels by 2020 and at least 70% by 2050. In a background study those
councils justify their recommendation on the basis of recent climate science
evidence and economic assessment. The paper was considered as an input to the
forthcoming spring summit of the European Council.
Download
the EEAC WG Energy statement and background analysis of the WG Energy on
Greenhouse Gas Reduction
▲
Top
2004: Strategies to Reduce
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Chairman: Horst Steinmüller, Austrian
Association for Agricultural and Environmental Research (OeVAF)
- February 2004: the WG Energy met in Graz (Austria) and
presented their national strategies to meet
Kyoto obligations on emissions. Germany and Sweden stated that they will most
likely fulfill the requirements, whereas the Netherlands and Austria believed
that according to their national climate strategies, this would only happen if
flexible mechanisms are applied. The WG could not reach a consensus on target setting and this has created
awareness in the whole EEAC network, where a discussion on this subject is
ongoing.
▲
Top
2002: Working Group Meeting in Kilkenny: future work plan
- October 2002: the WG Energy concluded that the following themes of interest for all participating
councils are:
- energy sources and technologies for the future;
- land use for energy production;
- liberalisation;
- measures (technical, fiscal, emission trading) to reach the targets of
the Kyoto Protocol.
These topics were presented to all EEAC councils at the Annual Plenary
Session. The OeVAF also presented the results of two studies (Traffic and
Kyoto, Energy Liberalisation in Austria) of the Energieinstitut.
2001: Working Group Meeting in Gent: Transition to a sustainable energy future
At their meeting on 15 November, several EEAC councils agreed to re-establish the
co-operation as a working group Transition to a sustainable energy future.
The Austrian Association for Agriculture, Life Science and Environmental Research
(OeVAF) took over the chairmanship.
It was decided to integrate the planned focus of the group Consequences of liberalisation for
renewable energy sources in a broader theme "New
framework for renewable energy", to cover reaching of Kyoto objectives,
eco-tax, EU guideline 2001/77/EG and liberalisation in a comparative view
of different national approaches.
2000: Workshop in Amersfoort (Netherlands):
"Reconciling a sustainable energy future with the liberalisation and
privatisation of the European energy market"
- October 200: The VROM-Council hosted a workshop as a kick-off for a
WG Energy and climate change.
Many councils have an interest in market instruments and technology
development given ever decreasing fossil fuel prices.
Workshop Programme
Aim and title of the workshop
Following the recommendations of the Brundtland Commission and UNCED, countries
aim for a more sustainable energy economy. Strategies to realise this target
often comprise of four elements: (1) more efficient energy consumption, (2)
larger shares of energy from renewable sources, (3) clean use of fossil energy
sources and (4) use of low-carbon energy sources and technologies. Currently
a liberalisation and privatisation of energy production and distribution in
the European Union is being implemented. Meanwhile, fossil fuels are expected
to remain available at low cost for decades to come. A substantial role for
governments might be needed to reconcile these opposing targets under complicating
market circumstances. The aim of the workshop is to share information, experiences,
ideas and visions between councils in the EU. Councils may use the outcomes
of the workshop in advising their governments to make effective decisions.
Workshop
Programme
List
of Participants
Summary
Full
report of the workshop for download
1999: Meeting of RCEP and
SRU
A bilateral meeting of the Royal Commission for Environmental Pollution
(RCEP) and the German Council of Environmental Advisors (SRU) took place in
London on 6-7 May to discuss "Aspects of Energy Policy and Environmental Implications".
Summary
Speech
of Prof. Ewers (SRU) "Energy Markets and Environmental Policy in Germany"
Copyright © 2000-2008 by European
Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils, Den Haag. All Rights Reserved.
Last update: 30 January 2008