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Ärende: Press Release (0704308) for Mon, 2007 Apr 30
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2007 U.S.-EU Summit Statement: Energy Security, Efficiency, and Climate
Change
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary April 30, 2007
2007 U.S.-EU Summit Statement: Energy Security, Efficiency, and Climate
Change
ÿÿWhite House News
ÿÿÿÿÿ U.S. - E.U. Summit 2007
Ensuring secure, affordable supplies of energy and tackling climate change
are central, interlinked global challenges facing the international
community.ÿ Addressing these issues requires urgent, sustained global
action and an integrated policy approach, using a wide range of regionally,
nationally or internationally defined policy tools and measures. We are
determined to ensure access to affordable, clean, and secure sources of
energy to underpin sustainable global economic growth and to protect our
environment.ÿ Tackling the challenge of energy security will also require
unprecedented international cooperation in several areas, including
increasing energy efficiency, market transparency, diversifying energy
supplies including the share of renewable energies and protecting and
maintaining the world_s energy supply system.
We are committed to the ultimate objective of stabilization of greenhouse
gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, and we
acknowledge the recent work of the IPCC.ÿ The respective responsibilities
of industrialized and major emerging economies require strengthened action
according to our national circumstances.ÿ Developing and commercializing
advanced technologies will allow us to slow, stabilize and then
significantly cut net global emissions of greenhouse gases. This requires
strong economies and a wide range of policy instruments, including market
based instruments, to generate technology investment and commercialization
and achieve emission reductions.ÿ To achieve these objectives, we will work
together and with other nations to deliver results in our global efforts to
confront climate change through the upcoming G8 summit in Heiligendamm, our
numerous multilateral partnerships, and by promoting a constructive agenda
for the UNFCCC Conference in Indonesia in December 2007.
We especially note the importance of advancing energy efficiency, near-zero
emissions coal and renewables, including biofuels, in improving our energy
security and reducing anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. Nuclear
energy can also contribute to reaching these goals in countries that decide
to use this option. We therefore affirm our commitment to accelerate the
transformation of our energy infrastructure so that we can effectively
tackle the interlinked challenges of climate change, energy security, and
clean and sustainable development.ÿ As we usher in this Age of Energy
Transformation, we will act together in true partnership to advance our
shared climate, sustainable development, and energy security goals, using a
mix of nationally, regionally or internationally defined policy tools to
research, develop, deploy and commercialize clean energy technologies that
will change the way we power our homes, businesses, and automobiles.
Complementary Goals:Our common goals for clean energy development and
commercialization in the near and medium-term include, but are not limited
to, the following sectors:
Promoting Advanced Coal Technologies, including Near Zero Emissions:
þ The United States, in partnership with its government steering group
member countries and the private sector, will build FutureGen, the
United States first near-zero emissions fossil fuel plant, by 2012;
President Bush_s policies provide strong incentives for investment in
clean power technologies, including advanced coal; $1 billion in tax
credits has already been allocated to spur billions of dollar in
private investment in nine advanced clean coal facilities and another
$650 million will be awarded this year, culminating in additional
builds; the United States has established a federal loan guarantee
program to drive investment in advanced technologies, including
advanced coal.ÿ In addition, the United States will support roughly
$200 million for carbon capture and storage, including field tests
demonstrating different techniques for capturing and storing carbon
dioxide emissions underground; any risks to human health and the
environment resulting from underground injection of CO2 will be
evaluated, and a regulatory framework will be developed.ÿ
þ The European Union considers carbon dioxide capture and storage an
important option in a broad portfolio of measures to reduce
CO2-emissions. Given the early stage of some elements of the
CCS-technology concept, the EU will establish a mechanism to stimulate
the construction by 2015 of a network of up to 12 demonstration plants
of sustainable fossil fuel technologies in commercial power generation.
As well as examining financial support mechanisms, this work will
develop a regulatory framework to ensure that CCS is developed and
managed in a safe and environmentally sound manner.ÿ This work includes
in particular the examination of the availability and suitability of
appropriate CO2-storage reservoirs in geological formations. The EU_s
regulatory framework, in particular the emissions trading scheme,
provides strong incentives for investment in clean power technologies,
including clean coal. The EU is currently looking at options for
extending its emissions trading scheme to include carbon dioxide
capture and storage from 2012 and possibly before. The EU will also
strengthen its research and development funding and efforts; under the
EU_s 7th Framework Programme up to Õ 400 million will be directed
towards projects in the fields of sustainable fossil fuels, in
particular clean coal and CCS, with funds for the EU's scientific and
research community to collaborate with their counterparts in non-EU
countries.
Developing, Deploying and Commercializing Renewable and Alternative
Energies:
þ The United States has advanced plans to achieve a 20 percent reduction
in gasoline consumption by 2017; this can be achieved by requiring the
use of 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels (replacing
15 percent of projected gasoline consumption in 2017) and by increasing
fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles (replacing 5 percent of
projected gasoline consumption by 2017): President Bush_s plan will
help stop the growth of carbon dioxide emissions from passenger and
light duty vehicles in the United States.
þ The European Union has set a binding target of a 20 percent share of
renewable energies in overall EU energy consumption and a minimum
binding 10 percent share of biofuels in overall EU transport fuel
consumption to be achieved by 2020. These targets are part of the
Energy Action Plan adopted by the European Council in March 2007
ensuring a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of at least 20 percent
by 2020 compared to 1990.
Promoting Energy Efficiency
þ The United States will improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions of each Federal agency, through reduction of energy
intensity, by 30 percent by 2015, using 2003 as a baseline.
þ The EU will increase energy efficiency so as to achieve the objective
of saving 20 percent of energy consumption compared to projections for
2020. For newly sold passenger cars the EU intends to take measures to
ensure average emissions of 120 g CO2/km by 2012.
Key Priorities: To advance our common goals, we have identified the
following priorities for a transatlantic partnership on clean energy and
climate change, bearing in mind our commitments under the UNFCCC, G8,
International Energy Agency and other frameworks and processes:
1. Advance commercial deployment of clean coal and carbon capture and
storage technologies, including through the CSLF; advanced, clean, and
near zero emissions coal technologies are critical in tackling global
CO2 emissions, given coal_s importance in meeting current and future
energy needs for developed and developing countries; development of a
regulatory framework for CCS;
2. Improve energy efficiency, especially in the transportation sector and
buildings and appliances;
3. Research, develop, deploy and commercialize second-generation biofuels;
overcome barriers to the use of renewable energy sources including
through the development of international standards;
4. Identify opportunities to jointly advance as many methane
recovery-and-use projects as possible.ÿÿÿÿÿ
Work Action Plan:To implement these transatlantic priorities, we commit to
the following actions:
1. Provide policy incentives to reduce the cost and other barriers to full
commercialization of advanced coal technologies; on carbon capture and
storage, develop bilateral cooperation in particular on regulating
risks of capture, transport and storage, and allocation of
responsibility for any leakage; assess availability of geological
formations suitable for long term CO2-storage, discuss international
minimum-safety requirements and site-selection criteria for the
protection of the climate and surrounding environment; cooperate to
develop adequate monitoring and remediation techniques;ÿ begin
discussion of how to define _carbon-capture-ready_ coal fired plants to
facilitate eventual market adoption of carbon sequestering plants; work
together to gain firm commitments from advanced developing countries to
deploy clean coal technology units.
2. Implement the Energy Efficiency Work Plan; ensure proper implementation
of the EU-U.S. ENERGY STAR Agreement; discuss potential to extend the
EU-U.S. ENERGY STAR Agreement to other product categories; discuss
possible cooperation on the use of minimum efficiency requirements;
cooperate on energy efficiency in buildings, and discuss potential for
joint efforts to promote energy efficiency in third countries to
enhance our mutual energy security;
3. Develop a set of compatible specifications for pure biofuels (both for
bioethanol and biodiesel) by the end of 2007 that will facilitate
international trade and increase use of alternative fuels, taking into
account existing standards; work to promote strategies for sustainable
biomass cultivation, including standards as appropriate; establish a
roadmap before summer for developing compatible standards for biofuels,
engaging the private sector, standards organizations, and the
government and taking full account of existing and planned biofuels
standards; continue analysis of biofuel resource assessment, as was
discussed at the EU-U.S. Second Biofuels Workshop; present the results
on economic factors and environmental impacts of biofuels development;
and exchange information on our respective research agendas on second
generation biofuel sources with the goal of accelerating further
commercialization of biofuels;
4. Hold an international renewable energy conference at the ministerial
level in Washington in March 2008 with the goal of advancing the
development and commercialization of renewable energy systems,
including second generation biofuels and solar energy;
5. Seek to develop a joint Methane-to-Markets work plan before the next
Summit to provide inventory opportunities, identify collaborative
activities, specific goals and emission reduction targets, and time
lines to advance methane recovery and use project development.
6. Explore the most effective means to promote energy efficiency
internationally, taking into account the work of the International
Energy Agency and the G8 Gleneagles Dialogue, including the development
of new international strategies on energy efficiency.
To better understand the effectiveness of the wide range of policy
instruments, the United States will host with the EU this year a climate
and clean energy policy and measures forum, composed of senior policy
officials, to discuss the policy and technical aspects of different market
mechanisms, including but not limited to emissions trading, taxation, and
incentives, and other regulatory programs, public-private partnerships, and
technology initiatives.
We also commit under the Montreal Protocol to seek to speed up the recovery
of the ozone layer by accelerating the phase-out of HCFCs.ÿ We will weigh
the impact of our proposals on climate change and energy efficiency.ÿ In
working together toward our shared goal of speeding ozone recovery, we
recognize that the Clean Development Mechanism impacts emissions of
ozone-depleting substances.
We note that our domestic efforts, while important, will not by themselves
be sufficient to reverse the significant growth trend in global greenhouse
gases.ÿ We, therefore, will work together to unleash markets that will
speed up the transfer of clean energy technology to developing countries.
We reaffirm the goal that our Leaders set at the G8 Summit at Sea Island in
2004 to reduce barriers to the international flow of goods and materials
for recycling and remanufacturing, recycled and remanufactured products,
and cleaner, more efficient technologies, consistent with existing
environmental and trade obligations and frameworks.
We will strengthen cooperation on the global phase-out of leaded gasoline
and promotion of low-sulfur diesel through the Partnership for Clean Fuels
and Vehicles.ÿ We also will reinforce our cooperation on hydrogen notably
through IPHE (the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy).ÿ We
will also continue our ongoing collaboration on nuclear power through the
Generation-IV International Forum and International Nuclear Energy Research
Initiative.
We reaffirm our commitment to international cooperation on global
observation and will continue to exercise leadership in the development of
the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), including working
to strengthen weather observing, climate and air quality monitoring, and
forecasting for human health, global disaster preparedness and monitoring,
and drought monitoring and forecasting. We encourage participation in the
November 30, 2007 Fourth Earth Observation Ministerial in Capetown, South
Africa.
Transatlantic Research:ÿ We will reach agreement on transatlantic research
cooperation under the bilateral EU-U.S. Science and Technology Agreement,
including: (1) enhance existing research programs in energy and environment
collaboration in areas of mutual interest, and if appropriate, revision of
relevant implementing arrangements, as needed; (2) examine international
grant funding mechanisms with the aim of eliminating obstacles and develop
practical proposals to broadly publicize research solicitations and better
coordinate, where appropriate, research activities through mechanisms, such
as coordinated calls for transatlantic clean energy research; (3) work to
more closely coordinate research agendas on both sides of the Atlantic in
line with the priorities identified at the 9th February 2007 meeting of the
EU-U.S. High Level Joint Consultative Group on S&T.
Cooperation should focus on:
1. Second generation biofuels;
2. Hydrogen/fuel cells (e.g. research on novel materials for H2 production
and storage and for advanced fuel cell components; pre-normative
research in hydrogen technologies);
3. CO2 capture and storage;
4. Energy efficiency;
5. Renewable energy technologies of mutual interest;
6. Coordination and collaboration on global carbon cycle research and
carbon observation and monitoring systems.
Increasing Energy Security: We committed in Vienna in 2006 to a set of
agreed principles to increase transparency in global energy markets,
enhance energy efficiency, diversify the energy mix and ensure the security
of critical energy infrastructure. ÿToday, we reaffirm those principles and
commit to conducting a periodic stocktaking of our performance in abiding
by and implementing them.
Key to maintaining affordable and secure supplies of energy to power our
economic growth and facilitate the development of new technologies is sound
management of our existing energy mix.ÿ The security of the energy supplies
of the United States and European Union are directly impacted by actors and
events beyond our borders as well as by our own regulatory and technology
mixes.ÿ We must, therefore, intensify our cooperation to:
þ carry out our commitment to the G8 Global Energy Security Principles
developed at St. Petersburg in 2006, including: effective market
access, and investment in all stages of the energy supply chain; open,
transparent, efficient and competitive markets for energy production,
supply, use, transmission and transit services; transparent, equitable,
stable and effective legal and regulatory frameworks, including the
obligation to uphold contracts, to generate sufficient, sustainable
international investments upstream and downstream; energy saving and
energy efficiency measures;
þ achieve greater diversification of energy types, sources, and routes of
European energy supplies, in particular encourage new infrastructure
for utilizing the oil and gas reserves of the Caspian region and
Central Asia. We encourage the International Energy Agency to continue
to take an active role in advancing this objective;
þ ensure there is an open and transparent international marketplace for
trade and investment in energy resources;ÿ
þ facilitate, through bilateral efforts or multilateral venues such as
the International Energy Agency, the integration of the new major
consuming countries (e.g. China and India) into the global energy
marketplace;
þ strengthen cooperation through partnerships and networks in particular
with emerging economies, focusing on energy efficiency, renewable
energies, low-emission energy technologies, notably CCS, and
þ improve the security and resiliency of global energy networks and the
physical security of critical energy infrastructure.
Tapping the Expertise of the Private Sector We will convene a
public-private meeting, composed of our senior government officials,
business leaders, and scientific and technical experts, focusing on the
priority areas identified in this statement.ÿ Options available to us
include, but are not limited to, inviting CEOs to participate in our
ongoing high-level dialogues, holding a public-private sector event
associated with the proposed international renewables conference, and/or
convening a stand-alone meeting.ÿ We will also use the U.S.-EU Energy
Technology CEO forum that was launched by the U.S. Department of State and
the German Foreign Ministry in March as a foundation for this effort.
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