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| Statement |
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STATEMENT New York, 6 March 2000
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the forty-three countries of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), thirty-six of which are members of the United Nations. The Barbados Programme of Action Energy is one of the fourteen priority issues identified in 1994 in the Barbados Programme of Action for the sustainable development of small island developing States (SIDS). You will recall that the Programme was the first international effort to translate the principles agreed at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio into practical action. Consideration of the progress in implementation of the Programme of Action, in terms of the experience gained and lessons learnt will therefore be of the greatest significance for all countries. The General Assembly special session held last September to review the Barbados Programme of Action identified specific initiatives to be pursued on the basis of a strong and committed partnership to encourage energy efficiency and to accelerate the development and utilization of environmentally sound renewable energy resources. These include: * the establishment of renewable
energy initiatives at the regional level; These, indeed, would be the natural ingredients for this meeting, for such initiatives would be as vital for other countries. The generally isolated and vulnerable situation of island countries has dictated a measure of urgency, and the need to focus on regional and other strategies to promote sustainable energy options and to set the path towards a sustainable energy future. In doing so, AOSIS has been able to work closely in targeted meetings and other initiatives with a number of committed allies and generous supporters, through the UNDP and other UN Agencies, and Governments and non-governments alike. In this respect, I should like to acknowledge our appreciation in particular to the United States, Norway, European Union and Italy though the UN Trust Fund on Renewable Energy, and to our friends at Counterpart International, Climate Institute and the Forum for Energy and Development. Individually, AOSIS countries are doing what they can with the natural resources they have, or which they do not have. Trinidad and Tobago, for instance, has been largely influenced by considerations of energy security and environmental consciousness in the development of its natural gas reserves. Nauru, on the other hand, having experimented with ocean thermal energy, has found it impossibly costly and must, as typical of many small islands, continue the search for viable alternatives. With respect to ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), I should say that the prospects for this technology for island States is being given every serious attention, as was most recently at a meeting last month in Barbados of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Essentially, however, there has been no substantive change in the energy situation of small island developing States (SIDS) since the Barbados Programme of Action of 1994, inasmuch as the following would still largely characterise their position as of today: * there continues to be heavy dependence on imported petroleum products, largely for transport and electricity generation; and also heavy dependence on indigenous biomass fuels. The current uses of these forms of energy, as we all know, are highly inefficient; * renewable energy resource endowments vary significantly among SIDS: - all have substantial solar
resources, but not yet developed to their full potential; * overall, there are significant constraints to the large-scale commercial use of renewable energy resources. SIDS do not have the capacity or means to invest in renewables, to develop or obtain the right technology, nor do they have adequate skill or management capabilities. Energy dependence Dependence remains a major issue, and should be looked at both in terms of the causes, and in terms of the feasible alternatives available to SIDS. The informed view is that petroleum will remain the single most important commercial energy source for SIDS in the foreseeable future, despite continuing attempts to develop alternative sources of energy. Indeed, this is the conclusion of the World Energy Assessment (WEA). The contribution of energy from renewable sources is increasing in some SIDS (e.g. Barbados where the use of mainly solar, biomass and wind energy now provides some 25% of primary energy, expected to increase to 50 to 75% by 2015). But on the whole, efforts to promote renewable energy technologies have not measured up to expectations. The disappointing results can be attributed to a number of factors. Many of the petroleum-based energy systems operating in SIDS today were assumed at the time of political independence. For many SIDS, since that time, there has been no real qualitative assessment of the energy situation, or substantive re-orientation of policy to actively promote renewable energy. This has tended to give way to inadequate policy frameworks, with the result that many SIDS still suffer from: * a lack of sufficient, accurate
renewable energy resource data; Meantime, the cost of importing oil and petroleum products remains a heavy burden. Certainly, this is the case with the current world prices as high as they are. In almost every region, SIDS obtain these products at some of the highest prices in the world. The prices of petroleum fuels landed in SIDS in the Pacific are typically 200-300 per cent of international values. It would be clear that savings from decreases in oil importation would contribute significantly to building up other areas of SIDS economies. Alternative means The almost total dependence on imported petroleum, is reason alone to warrant seeking alternative and more sustainable energy systems. As it is, SIDS dependence on imported fuel products continues to cause severe imbalances in trade. It is also known that increased use of fuelwood has led to significant deforestation in many SIDS. To arrest these adverse developments, SIDS will need to increase their efforts in the development and use of indigenous renewable energy resources. Consideration must also be given to major development issues which are likely to confront SIDS and to exacerbate their difficulties in the coming decades, including increased population growth; rapid urbanisation and unemployment; increased energy demand and rising energy prices for commercial fuels; deteriorating environmental conditions (waste disposal, pollution); and impacts caused by global phenomena like climate change. Climate change The exposure and vulnerability of small island States to the threats of climate change is well acknowledged. While in global terms the energy use in small island States is relatively small, and their polluting-emissions minimal, the AOSIS countries stand ready to do their part to contribute to the reduction of global emissions through the promotion of renewable energy. Every contribution counts, however small. Our interest in moving the global economy towards less carbon intensive methods is not entirely self-serving, for the consequences that we are first to encounter will surely be felt by others. In this connection I want to say that it is the firm belief of the AOSIS countries that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) being developed under the Kyoto Protocol negotiations should focus substantially on renewable energy opportunities. Renewable energy resources Based on the experience of the past several years, it is evident that the increasing role for renewable energy should become an important part of the overall strategy in many SIDS. Since energy conservation and efficiency measures are the most effective ways to achieve significant savings in energy consumption, concerted efforts supported by external assistance are needed to promote and implement these measures. In their efforts to harness renewable energy sources, SIDS will need enhanced technical, managerial, financial and particularly external assistance to make the necessary investments. The development of renewable energy sources will depend not only on the choice of appropriate technology but also on adequate development of managerial and technical expertise, careful financial management and adoption of appropriate institutional approaches. Strengths and lessons learnt A full range of renewable energy technologies are being tested or applied in almost all SIDS regions. Some of the technologies and energy efficiency measures, particularly with some photovoltaic applications, are now technically mature and proven. Recognising their role and potential, care must taken to ensure that any new developments should first address the reasons for past failures, including poor project planning, unreliable components, inappropriate design, improper installation and poor maintenance. In this respect, full advantage should be taken of the experience of other countries, so that errors committed there be avoided, and thus SIDS could literally "leap frog" over some of the steps and difficulties experienced by the industrialisation process in some countries. Regional cooperation and collaboration among SIDS should be encouraged and supported in order to avoid unnecessary duplication. Priority should be given to saving energy rather than generating energy where possible, and to improving efficiency through the use of demand-side management and more efficient appliances. Above all, priority should be paid to the obvious successes. The experience of the Pacific, for instance, and possibly elsewhere, is that photovoltaics could play a substantial role in the electrification of rural areas in the near future. Co-ordination at the international level would also be essential. UN agencies in particular should give adequate disclosure and disseminate information on energy developments of interest to and pertaining to SIDS, using the small island States network SIDS/Net, and perhaps by co-ordination through the SIDS branch of UN/DESA. Messrs Co-Chairmen, We regard this meeting as essential in advancing the commitments taken at UNCED, the Global Conference on small island States, and the General Assembly special sessions of 1997 and last year. We are grateful for the Report prepared by the Secretary-General (ECN.17/ESD/2000/3) on the key issues which this meeting will consider and in which members of AOSIS will actively participate. We share completely the concerns of developing countries about the need for strengthened international cooperation in the field of energy. In our view, there is a well demonstrated case for international assistance to developing countries to enhance their national efforts to provide adequate energy services to all sectors of the population, to facilitate the alleviation of poverty, as well as developing policies which enhance the economic, social and environmental aspects of the production, distribution and use for energy. These considerations are especially critical for small island developing States, given their environmental and economic vulnerabilities. The Secretary-General’s report on the key issues addresses important issues pertaining to the accessibility of energy, rural energy, energy efficiency, financing the energy sector, as well as the overriding issue of international cooperation, and thus provides a good basis for discussion. AOSIS hopes to elaborate on these and to contribute to the discussions in the next few days. Thank you. |