(Vienna, 23 January 2006) – Sustainable energy supply is one of the greatest challenges in international politics. Developing countries are particularly affected as energy supply is an important precondition for economic progress and the improvement of living conditions. Against this background, high-ranking officials from EU Member States as well as experts from the European Commission and international organisations will be holding discussions today in Vienna at the specialist conference “Energy in Development Cooperation”. The Secretary-General of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Johannes Kyrle, and Ambassador Irene Freudenschuss-Reichl, head of Austrian development cooperation, opened the conference. The key themes are EU energy initiatives, options for climate cooperation and options for Africa's energy supply.
Around 2.4 billion people are currently denied access to modern energy supplies. The poorest countries and regions of the world, particularly in Africa, have to meet 90% of their energy requirements using firewood, charcoal, animal manure and agricultural waste. However, sustainable energy supply is one of the most important preconditions in the fight against poverty and for better economic and social conditions. With its international energy initiative, the EU has accordingly set itself the target of enabling people in developing countries to gain access to adequate, affordable and sustainable energy services. A tangible contribution is thereby be made to reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. EUR 220 million was made available in 2005 within the framework of the ACP-EU Energy Facility for developing sustainable energy supplies in poor rural areas in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific Rim.
In Vienna, experts from the EU institutions, the Member States and international organisations are beginning to take stock of the progress of the EU energy initiative up to now and are advising on joint future steps.
At the opening of the Conference, the Secretary-General of the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Johannes Kyrle, referred to the huge global significance of the energy question for developing countries as well as for industrialised nations. "Only if we manage to appreciably improve access to energy supplies can we be successful in the fight against poverty and achieve the Millennium Goals. But we the industrialised nations also face a challenge. To safeguard our own energy supplies, we must take account of the situation and demand in the developing countries." Moreover, according to Kyrle, the energy question is very closely linked to the present environmental problems. "The negative consequences of many of the current energy systems make it necessary to examine together ways of securing sustainable energy for the future."
Two working groups will debate options for working together on climate protection in the context of development cooperation, and discuss energy requirements and supply strategies for Africa.
Ambassador Irene Freudenschuss-Reichl, head of Austrian development cooperation, summed up the concerns of the conference: "Development requires energy and Austria has a great deal of expertise in the use of renewable energy and the requisite technology. We can contribute these skills at EU level and together pass them on more effectively than before to developing countries through the transfer of technology and business partnerships".
For years, energy measures have been a key theme of Austrian development cooperation in the fight against poverty. Numerous projects promote the use of alternative energy sources such as solar technology or hydropower and the transfer of knowledge that accompanies this.
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