At the Environment for Europe Conference in Kiev, the European ECO-Forum, represented by 300 delegates of European environmental citizens' organisations, urged the Environmental Ministers to agree on precise agenda to work further inorder to increase the use of renewable energy. Kiev Conference is the largest gathering on environmental officials, non-governmental organisations and experts which will determine the environmental agenda for Europe for the coming years and the best place to put forward the renewables.
In the letter to all Ministers and heads of delegations, European ECO-Forum urged them to use this unique opportunity to agree to work on establishing clear and ambitious time-bound renewable energy targets for each country as well as for the Pan-European region. Targets for renewable energy have shown their success as important trendsetters in development of more sustainable energy systems.
"We fully understand that the countries cannot agree on renewable energy targets at this conference, but we are of the opinion that work needs to start now!", ECO-Forum's Energy Group Coordinator Gunnar Boie Ollesen explains.
ECO-Forum urges Ministers to support a share of 15% renewable energy and 10% new renewable energy in the world's energy mix by 2010 as achievable goals. 15% renewable energy in the world's total primary energy supply is a modest increase from the current 12-13% (note: According to statistics of the International Energy Agency, including hydropower but excluding energy recovery from waste incineration). The goal is important to turn the trend of a decreasing global share of renewable energy, and many European countries supported it during the negotiations for the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation in 2002.
For more information: European ECO-Forum Information Center