ESCAP considers other energy sources
ESCAP considers other energy sources
NUSA DUA, Bali (JP): The Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) regional meeting was officially
closed on Friday night with the endorsement of the Bali
Declaration on Asia Pacific Perspective on Energy for Sustainable
Development.
"The Bali Declaration contains a commitment by Asia Pacific
countries to enhance policies, planning and management, including
the integration of energy issues into the policy making process
in the economic, social and environmental sectors," said chairman
of the meeting Purnomo Yusgiantoro, who is also the Indonesian
minister of energy and mineral resources.
Representatives from 33 countries, along with six United
Nations bodies and four observer countries, business communities
and non-government organization attended the four-day meeting.
The Bali Declaration and its action plan will be submitted to
the Ninth Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development
slated to be held in New York next April.
"Meanwhile, the action plan consists of strategy for the
implementation of the commitment, including the expansion of
energy accessibility," Purnomo said.
"The United Nation's World Energy Assessment Report indicates
that nearly two billion people or one third of the world's
population still do not have adequate access to commercial energy
and rely almost totally on traditional energy sources. Most of
them living in rural areas in developing countries."
Another major concern addressed by the action plan is the need
to develop renewable energy sources to substitute for fossil-fuel
generated energy.
"The most reasonable alternative energy sources are wind,
solar energy and hydroelectric energy," he added.
"Yet, we have to deal with many obstacles, including financial
investment and the availability of sufficient technology in
developing these alternative energy resources."
The section chief of the United Nations' Environment and
Natural Resources Development, Pranesh Chandra Saha, revealed
that UN figures quoted at the conference gave a dismal picture of
energy demand outstripping supply.
"By 2010 the ESCAP regions are estimated to be the largest
energy consuming regions in the world," Pranesh said.
The bill for energy investment requirement by 2005 in East
Asia alone would range between US$150 billion and $200 billion
annually, ESCAP executive secretary Kim Hak Su said.
The action plan also consists of a design for optimizing the
efficiency of energy consumption, efforts to provide reliable and
affordable energy services in rural areas, and innovative finance
schemes for sustainable energy and enhancing the transfer of
technology.
The meeting also recommended that policy on energy price be
restructured to support sustainable energy development and create
a level playing field for renewable energy and energy efficient
technology. (zen/edt)