HELIO at CSD 14...

In cooperation with INFORSE, HELIO hosted a panel discussion titled Sustainable Energy:  where we are now and where can we be.  This panel discussion was held as a side-event as a contribution to the 14^th session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UN CSD 14) in New York, May 1-12. 

The objective of this event was to generate a list of innovative responses for CSD 15. The audience was asked to focus its discussion around the following three questions. 

1. What public authority action is necessary?
2. How can the CSD process contribute to the necessary national and international decisions?
3. What can we do to encourage/stimulate the process?

Points 2 and 3 elicited the greatest amount of interest.  The discussion is summarized below. 

Discussion Summary

Given the nature of sustainable development, it is important not to focus on subject-specific areas such as water, energy etc., but rather to look at the over-arching goal of poverty alleviation/equitable development.  The focus of discussions then becomes how a specific issue can contribute to this goal.  For the CSD, its role becomes one of convener - it is the platform for bringing different groups together to discuss how their "issue can best contribute to poverty alleviation/equitable development.  This not only focuses efforts on the fundamental human right of equity but also works to minimize the divisiveness that often arises when the goal of one group undermines that of another group. The push for clean and renewable energy is one example as a shift away from coal, oil and nuclear will have an effect on jobs in those sectors and will cause resistance among workers and trade unions.  By focusing on poverty alleviation/equitable development the issue is not clean and renewable energy verses jobs but the need to couple the economic transition (that would occur with an energy shift) with a social transition.  Demand for participatory democracy (effective citizen involvement) and the importance of understanding and educating decision makers on gender and cultural issues were also highlighted as important factors.

The context for discussion was set by a series of presentations that outlined the current status of energy policies around the world and how they contribute to global ecodevelopment.   Three scenarios for where we can be in 50 years if we apply our collective political will was also presented. 

Click here for coverage of the event by IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin (488 KB, PDF - see page 3).

The panel was moderated by Edgar Blaustein, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Presentations were given by:

• Laura Williamson (HELIO International) Sustainable Energy: where we are now - country analyses and outlooks
• Ibrahim Togola (MFC - Energy and Environment/HELIO International-Africa) Energy and Development in Africa
• Gunnar Olesen Boye (INFORSE) Where We Can Go: Sustainable Energy Visions for the Next 50 Years