Building Global Alliances for Renewable Energies

A European conference for renewable energies is being held in Berlin from 19 to 21 January at the invitation of the European Commission. It will serve as the European preparatory meeting for the "renewables2004" international conference taking place in Bonn in June. Federal Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin has issued the following statement on this event:

The global challenge of climate protection demands a reformed, environmentally sound energy system that will be viable for the future. If we want to avoid catastrophic consequences for our planet, we will have to slow down global warming. By the end of this century, the average temperature must not have risen by more than 2 degrees Celsius since the industrial revolution. We have to significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Germany is a pioneer in this field. An important core element in our efforts has been the massive expansion of renewable energies.

But renewables do not just contribute to climate protection. The industrialised and developing countries benefit equally from the use of renewable energies:

• Greenhouse gas emissions are avoided; in Germany alone, we have saved approximately 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide through the increased use of solar and wind energy, hydro power and biomass generation;
• Without energy, we will not be able to overcome poverty and underdevelopment around the world. This can only be done through an increased use of renewable energies. Only by using renewables will poor and rich countries be able to break their dependence on oil;
• This will create new employment opportunities in both the developing and the industrialised countries; in Germany alone, we have created 135,000 jobs;
• Renewable energies are a field that is producing technological developments.

Renewables2004 is intended to bring about progress on all these issues at a global level. We are mobilising governments, the business community and civil society for the conference with preparatory meetings in various parts of the world. The European preparatory meeting will take place here in Berlin next week.Europe is not just providing a lead on climate protection, but also as far as the promotion of renewable energies is concerned. With the Directive on the promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources, all the member states – including the accession countries – have undertaken to play their part in doubling the share of renewable energies in electricity production in the EU by 2010 (compared to 1997). In Germany, the share of electricity from renewable sources is to rise from 4.5% to 12.5% over this period.

But we do not want to leave it at that. In the amendment of the Renewable Energy Sources Act that will be debated tomorrow in the German Bundestag, we have set a new target: 20% of power generated in Germany should come from renewable sources by 2020.

Europe’s commitment to renewable energies and renewables2004 will be demonstrated by the European regional meeting taking place next week, which is being organised by the European Commission. Almost 500 government representatives and experts from more than 30 countries will discuss successful approaches to the increase in the use of renewable energies in the electricity industry, the heating sector and transport. At this meeting next week – as in Bonn in June – the aim will be to compare successful policy options for the promotion of renewable energies in competitive markets.

Fixed feed-in tariffs set for a long period of time and an obligation to prioritise the purchase of electricity from renewable sources – as provided for in our Renewable Energy Sources Act – have been the decisive reasons for the rapid expansion of renewable energies in Germany. These measures alone created the secure basis for investment that was needed. Our legislation is being copied by many countries in Europe and the rest of the world, including Spain, France and Greece. This is making the Renewable Energy Sources Act an export success.

By contrast, the certification solutions favoured in some EU countries have not led to a market breakthrough for renewable energies. They are expensive as well – as shown by a comparison of costs per kilowatt hour for wind energy in Germany and Great Britain.

Europe is also playing a leading role within the Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition (JREC). The JREC is the driving force for renewable energies at international level. More than 80 of the world’s states – including all 25 current and future members of the EU – have joined this coalition. By setting voluntary targets for the increased use of renewable energies, they are creating the secure basis for investment that we need.

The EU Commission hosts the secretariat of this coalition. However, targets have to be supported by further measures. I therefore welcome the fact that the JREC will develop new financial approaches intended to mobilise private capital for renewable energies, because we cannot simply rely on public funding.

Another hope is associated with the JREC: that this joint alliance between industrialised countries, such as the EU member states, and G77 countries will make it possible to find new forms of cooperation that go beyond the usual blocs.

The European preparatory meeting is intended to underline Europe’s willingness and responsibility to maintain its active, pioneering role in the field of renewable energies. Europe therefore has to take the next step. We should be going to renewables2004 in Bonn with the message that, building on the targets laid down for 2010, Europe will put in place clear, demanding targets for increases in the share of renewable energies by 2020. Germany has already set out the contribution it will make.