WG Energy Chairmans midterm report 17th BSPC 2008

Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference 03 July 2008SecretariatThe 17th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference,1-2 September 2008 in Visby, SwedenSpeaking NotesRegional Energy and Climate Cooperation and Sustainable Development in the Baltic Sea Region - our measure, our motto, our goalMidterm Report from theWorking Group on Energy and Climate ChangeBy Mr. Mart Jüssi, Chairman of the BSPC Working Group on Energy and Climate Change, Chairman of the Environmental Protection and Energy Committee, Member of the Estonian RiigikoguDear Excellencies,Dear Colleagues,Mr. Chairman and Madam Chairperson,The Working Group on Energy and Climate Change was established in August 2007 based on the Resolution of the 16th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. The Working group was given the mandate to review the existing situation in the Baltic Se region in energy and climate change and the status for implementation of previously approved recommendations on the issue. In addition, the Working Group is expected to exchange experience on successful efforts of the countries around the Baltic Sea, with special regard to the promotion and actual implementation of renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy savings in all sectors in the Baltic Sea Region, and underline the positive research, job and business potentials of environmentally friendly technologies.Further, the Group should pursue to draft a resolution to be adopted by the 18th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference with recommendations directed to the BASREC, the CBSS, and to the governments of the Baltic Sea states. Hence, the overall ambition of the Working Group is to draft directions to raise political focus on energy and climate change on the national agendas of members of the working group and to elaborate joint political positions and recommendations on issues of common interest in the Baltic Sea Region.The Working Group has organized two meetings so far. The first meeting was held on 5 February in Tallinn in the beginning of this year, and the second meeting was held on 22 May also in Tallinn. It is planned to organize the next meeting of the Working Group on 20-21 October 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Mandate of the Group determines that the Working Group is supposed to submit its final report to the BSPC to be discussed at the 18th Conference in 2009 in Copenhagen. The Working Group has planned to discuss and draft the final report at the up-coming meetings – in the autumn 2008 and following spring 2009.Representatives of the Baltic Development Forum, the European Parliament and BASREC have contributed substantially to the Working Group, and the Working Group, through its Secretariat has taken part in the several meetings of the Joint Energy and Climate Platform of the Baltic Sea Region Organisations. Also the future initiatives of the Working Group will be coordinated with the plans and policies of the above mentioned institutions. The Working Group should welcome all kind of close interaction between the parliamentary level and the government institutions to coordinate Baltic Sea regional energy cooperation and supply security.But already for this BSPC Conference, as a preliminary result, the Working Group has drafted a few sentences as an input to the Visby Resolution. Our intention was to stress the importance of consolidated regional energy cooperation within the resolution, and the urgent need to come up with concrete steps to be taken to mitigate consequences of climate change and enhance capacity to prevent adverse consequences of climate change. To the working group’s point of view, it is of particular importance to speed actual implementation of renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy savings in all sectors in the Baltic Sea Region, and that is where, our, parliamentarian and government role and active involvement is crucial.The Working Group was established to focus on the energy and climate change issue in the Baltic Sea region. Energy and climate change issues is challenge of great concern for all countries and all parties around the Baltic Sea region. It is obvious that the future energy needs in connection with the serious climate situation call for strengthened cooperation – also in the Baltic Sea Region. The challenge will be to develop this region into a highly energy efficient and growing economy, and – at the same time – to reduce the dependence on the carbon-based energy sources. Based on the prosperous situation, that the countries in the Baltic Sea region have a strong tradition for innovation and have the necessary financial, organisational and human resources, and based on the recommended intensified regional cooperation, hence it should be possible to execute the vision of the Baltic Sea Region as a world leader in energy efficiency and renewable energies.The Working Group has, among other things, studied the prior legislation and national approaches of dealing with energy and climate change challenges and ongoing initiatives by the European Union and Baltic Sea region organizations. The need for closer consultation and coordination among BSR organizations is recognized by most actors in the region, and recently many activities have been launched regarding climate change initiatives. For instance, the Baltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperation (BSSSC) and the Baltic Development Forum (BDF) has taken an initiative to establish a joint energy and climate platform of the Baltic Sea Region organizations. The BSPC Standing Committee has expressed its support for enhancing coordination among Baltic Sea region organizations in energy and climate change issues. On the EU level, the focus on energy has never been stronger during the recent years. In January this year the European Commission put forward an energy and climate package combining a draft directive on promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. The goals of the EU energy and climate package are to have a 20% increase in energy efficiency, a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 20% share of renewable in overall EU energy consumption by 2020 and to have 10% biofuel component in vehicle fuel by 2020. Further, in December 2007 the European Council invited the Commission to present an EU strategy for the Baltic Sea region at the latest by June 2009. The strategy will be one of the key objectives for the Swedish EU Presidency in the second half of 2009. The strategy could function as a joint priority instrument for the region, facilitating an effective use of both EU resources and the regions own financial and other resources. There are also various projects launched at the regional organizations. For instance, the BASREC has its ministerial meeting in few weeks, and the main focus of the meeting will be energy and climate challenges. Instruments like biomass, district heating and energy efficiency and with a review of the EU energy policy with the Baltic Sea as an example will be addressed at the conference.Thinking of the importance of reducing man-made CO2 emissions, we should all welcome the initiative of reducing CO2 emission by 25-40% of by 2020, as recommended by the ad hoc working group of the Annex-1 countries under the Kyoto Protocol at the COP-13 session in Bali. We should also pay due attention to the targets set by the Council of the European Union to achieve at least a 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to 1990, and 60% to 80% emission reduction by 2050 compared to 1990. I hope everybody present today will make their utmost efforts when returning back to their home parliaments and government to speed up discussions on the grave importance of reducing level of man made CO2 emissions.Dear Colleagues,Now I would like to introduce you the main initiatives taken by the parliamentary working group. One of the working group’s ambitions is to influence processes and international discourse on energy and climate change. Therefore, firs step the working group took in this direction was drafting Comments from the working group, to be communicated at the occasion of the BASREC Ministerial Conference and Meeting on 9-10 September 2008 in Copenhagen. We hope that the ministerial meeting will pay due consideration to the enclosed recommendations in their deliberations and decision-making. I think we should express great expectations for this meeting: that ministers of the Baltic Sea region countries set concrete targets in spheres of CO2 emission reduction, energy efficiency, energy saving and renewable energy. Hopefully, a report on the results from the ministerial meeting can be given at the BSPC Copenhagen Conference next year.Another ambitious goal for the parliamentary working group is to coordinate and cooperate on strategies before the COP 14 meeting in Poznan in December this year and COP 15 in Copenhagen in 2009 in order to provide consolidated support from the Baltic Sea Region to ambitious measures. One of the tools for such strategy will be a Report on Regional Energy Cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, prepared by the Joint Energy and Climate Platform of the Baltic Sea Region Organisations. Our working group has decided to cooperate with the Platform organizations in preparation of such a survey. The Report will consist of the overview of the current energy systems in the Baltic Sea region; scenarios for the future regional energy systems to show how the national and EU targets could be met; a list of regional projects which would benefit development of the region; an extended analysis of the possibilities for the industry in the region; as well as ideas on how to promote the Baltic Sea region as a showcase for low carbon technologies and develop regional knowledge sharing among public and private partners from different countries in the region. We are very much looking forward for the Report. The overview could form the basis for a concrete plan of action, which could contribute to the EU Baltic Sea Strategy in June 2009, and to the efforts to make the Baltic Sea region a showcase for sustainable energy development at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. We are confident that it will be a huge contribution in the coordination of cooperation on energy and climate change around the Baltic Sea region. First results of the Report are expected to be presented at the annual meeting of the Baltic Development Forum in December this year.Last but not the least; the Working Group also has the ambition to explore existing international financial instruments for energy efficiency and renewable energy investments in the Baltic Sea region; which gradually will enable the working group to formulate political recommendations on how to attract and strengthen such financial instruments in the Baltic Sea region. For instance, the EU has a number of funding and grant possibilities that could support relevant initiatives in the realm of energy and climate change in the Baltic Sea Region. Since the Baltic Sea Region is included in the concept of the Northern Dimension and the Northern Dimension Environmental Programme, the existing EU-funding possibilities should pay special attention to applications from this area. Supplementary to the EU and national funding, loan funding should be available for specific projects from the international and regional financial institutions, for instance the development banks: the EBRD, the NIB and the NEFCO etc.Mr. Chairman,Together with the two Vice-Chairpersons of the Working Group, Ms. Anne Grete Holmsgaard from Danish Parliament and Mr. Kurt Bodewig from German Parliament, it is a pleasure to inform you that – except from Iceland - all the parliaments of the BSPC members have nominated their representative to the Working Group on Energy and Climate Change. We are particularly glad that the European Parliament is also represented at the Working Group. This illustrates for us, that a BSPC ad hoc group working on a specific policy issue is attracting broad interest from all parliaments around the Baltic Sea region. For the Chairmanship, this is a fortune and challenge at the same time.Ladies and Gentlemen!On behalf of the Working Group I am looking forward to address you again next year. Hopefully, at that time, we will be in a position to specifically point to directions for concrete programs for raising energy efficiency and use of renewable energies, which would also facilitate improvement of general climate situation. I am very much looking forward for the future work of the parliamentary working group. I am convinced that this will bring tangible results for our countries, the region, and the world.Thank you for your attention!