Global Cooperation Towards Energy Efficiency: Barriers and Opportunities
The Third International Energy Programme Asia (EPA) Conference, in cooperation with the Institute of Industrial Economics, Energy Economic Research Centre (EERC), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)
全球能源效率合作的障碍与机遇
24 - 25 June 2006
Abstract
As the demand for energy increases in a world of diminishing fossil fuel reserves, policies to secure supply are needed alongside policies promoting efficiency and conservation. Secure energy supplies and stability in global energy markets are crucial to industrialized and industrializing countries alike - for sustained economic growth and welfare, and to prevent international conflict. Alternativetechnologies could also lead to a more equal distribution of the world's energy among nations and decrease the world's dependence on fossil fuels.
This conference brings together academics, policy makers and business people from Asia and Europe to discuss the possibilities for and barriers to energy security, efficiency and conservation, for the world generally, and for China in particular.
Organizing Committee:
- Prof Shi Dan (Department of Energy, Institute of Industrial Economics, CASS)
- Dr Mehdi Parvizi Amineh (EPA-Programme Director, IIAS)
- Ms Marloes Rozing, MA (IIAS)
Information and registration:
Institute of Industrial Economics
CASS
Yi Ding
No. 2 Yuetan Beixiaojie
yiding.ding@vip.sina.com
T +86-10-68016879
F +86-10-68032679
and
International Institute for
Asian Studies (IIAS)
Marloes Rozing
m.rozing@let.leidenuniv.nl
T +31-71-527 2227
F +31-71-527 4162
Programme
DAY ONE: SATURDAY 24 JUNE 2006
09h30 Registration and coffee
10h00 Welcome and Opening Remarks
Prof Zheng Lu, Director, Institute of Industrial Economics, CASS and
Dr Mehdi Parvizi Amineh, Programme Director, Energy Programme Asia, Senior Research Fellow, International Institute for Asian Studies
Energy security, alternative energy resources and sustainable development
SESSION 1: POLICIES OF ENERGY CONSERVATION AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Chair Yu Shibutani, Director, Energy Geopolitics Ltd of Japan
10h15 Energy Conservation in China: Policy and Implementation
Dr Jiang Bing, Deputy Director, Office of National Energy Leading Group
10h35 Comparison and Analysis of Energy Efficiency in different Regions in China
Prof. Shi Dan, Head, Department of Energy, Institute of Industrial Economics, CASS
10h55 Energy Price and Energy Efficiency in China
Prof.. Dong Xiucheng, Dean, School of Business Administration, China Petroleum University
11h15 Energy Efficiency Policies and Energy Demand Scenarios
Dr Dai Yande, Deputy Director, Institute of Energy Research
State Commission of Development and Reform
11h35 Discussion
12h00-14h00 Lunch
SESSION 2: CHALLENGES OF ENERGY SUPPLY SECURITY AND GEOPOLITICS
Chair Dr Mehdi Parvizi Amineh, Director, Energy Programme Asia, International Institute for Asian Studies
14h00 Energy Security in Central Eurasia: Geopolitical Implications for China's Energy Strategy
Dr Guo Xuetang, Associate Professor of International Relations, Deputy Director, Tongji Institute of International Politics
14h20 The Impact of Japan's Actions to secure its Energy Supply from the Persian Gulf on its relations with China
Dr Raquel Shaoul, Tel Aviv University
14h40 Prospects for EU-China Cooperation on Global Energy Security: The Role of Energy Efficiency and Conservation for Enhancing Supply Security
Dr Frank Umbach, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Asia-Pacific Program, German Council on Foreign Relations
15h00 Competition not Confrontation: Alternative Geopolitics of Energy Security
Mr. Wang Xiaoning, Senior Policy Advisor, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
15h20 Discussion
15h45 Refreshments
SESSION 3: THE POLITICAL ECONOMICS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY
Chair Dr David Fouquet, Director Editor, The Asia Europe Project
16H15 Energy Efficiency and Demand Side Management in China
Dr Hu Zhaoguang, State Power Economic Research Center Beijing
16h35 Alternative Policy Instruments in Promoting the Renewable Energy Market in China
Prof. Zhang Xiliang. Professor of Energy economics, Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy, Tsinghua University
16h55 Chinese Plans for Energy and Resource Efficiency in Cities and Countryside
Dr Li Hanying, Deputy Director of International Cooperation, Executive Office, China Environmental Protection Foundation
17h15 Discussion
17h45 Close of the Day
DAY TWO: SUNDAY 25 JUNE 2006
SESSION 4: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF ENERGY USE AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Chair: Dr Frank Umbach, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Asia-Pacific Program, German Council on Foreign Relations
10h00 Change of the Energy Conservation Development Strategy in China, and Japan-China energy-environmental cooperation
Prof. Katsuhiko Hama, Department of Foreign Languages and Studies, Soka University
10h20 Ways to a Sustainable Energy Future for East and South Asia: Experiences from German Renewable Energy Policy
Dr Björn Klusmann, German Renewable Energy Federation
10h40 Energetic Footprints: Environmental Effects on China's Energy Production and Consumption 1950-2005
Dr Eduard Vermeer, Leiden University
11h00 Contemporary Coal Use
Prof. Li Zheng, Director of Tsinghua-BP Clean Energy Research and Education Centre
11h20 Discussion
11h45-14h00 Lunch
SESSION 5: ENERGY EFFICIENCY-WHAT ALTERNATIVES ARE THERE?
Chair Prof. Shi Dan, Director, Energy Economic Research Centre, Institute of Industrial Economics, CASS
14h00 Energy Governance
Dr David Fouquet, Director Editor, The Asia Europe Project
14h20 China's Coal Market: Current Developments and Future Prospects
Prof. Huang Shengchu, President, China Coal Information Institute
14h40 China's Ethanol Policy Option from a Japanese Perspective
Prof. Yu Shibutani, Director, Energy Geopolitics Ltd of Japan
15h00 Strengthen Electricy Demand Management and Improve Electricity Efficiency
Dr Pan Yuelong, Deputy Director, State Electricity Regulating Commission of China
15h20 Discussion
15h45 Refreshments
16h15-17h00 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
17h00 Closure of the Conference
Prof. Shi Dan, Director, Energy Economic Research Centre, Institute of Industrial Economic, CASS
Dr Mehdi Parvizi Amineh Director, Energy Programme Asia, Senior Research Fellow, International Institute for Asian Studies
17h15 End of Conference
Organizers:
* Mehdi Parvizi Amineh, EPA - International Institute for Asian Studies
* Shi Dan, Director, Energy Economic Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China
Outline
Following two successful conferences in 2005 on energy supply security - The Challenges of Post-Soviet Transition in Kazakhstan, co-hosted with the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) in Leiden, The Netherlands; and The Security of Energy Supply in China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the European Union: Possibilities and Impediments, an EPA-IIAS & Clingendael International Energy Programme conference in The Hague and Leiden, The Netherlands - the EPA is now organizing a conference on energy efficiency and energy conservation.
In the past, studies on the geopolitics of energy supplies have focused mainly on the possibilities of and barriers to energy supply security for consumer countries and regions. In a world where fossil fuels are decreasing as demand for energy consumption increases, strategies to secure energy supplies must be developed alongside policies of energy efficiency and energy conservation that will lead to sustainable development. Both are essential for all regions and countries in the world - not only for sustained economic growth and welfare but also to prevent conflicts over energy supply security.
For instance, the EU could reduce its current energy consumption cost-effectively by at least 20 percent - equivalent to 60 billion euros per year, or the present energy consumption of Germany and Finland combined. Although considerable investment is needed to bring about these potential savings, energy-efficient equipment and energy services would create many new high-professional jobs. Moreover, money not spent on energy would translate into net savings, laying the foundation for greater competition and better living conditions. Individual households could also save more money with energy-efficiency initiatives.
Finally, energy conservation is without a doubt the quickest, most efficient and cost-effective means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, essential for combating climate change and improving air quality, particularly in densely populated areas. China currently consumes five times more energy than the EU to produce one unit of GDP, while the USA consumes some 50 percent more that the EU. With energy demand rapidly increasing, particularly in China and India, energy efficiency must be one of the key policies balancing the developing world's increased energy needs for economic growth and improving the living conditions of its citizens while combating global warming.
Oil issues are expected to dominate global dialogue on energy in the coming years. Take, for example, transport, a key component of economic growth. Until now, there have been no fuel alternatives to oil in this sector. Oil is the most globalized energy commodity in the world: more than 55 percent of production is traded internationally, while 33 percent of gas production and 20 percent of coal output is traded across borders. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the opening of more national economies to the world economy, the stability of global energy markets is of great importance. Additionally, it will be essential to develop alternative, environmentally-friendly technologies to generate energy, which could lead to a more equal distribution of the world's energy among nations and decrease the world's dependence on fossil fuels.
Energy efficiency equipment, services and technology are becoming increasingly important worldwide. The most significant obstacles to increased energy efficiency are a lack of information on the costs and the availability of new technology, on the costs of energy consumption, and a lack of training of technicians on proper maintenance. Market participants also often do not properly take these factors into account, and technical barriers such as a lack of standardisation of equipment and components can also prevent new energy efficient technologies from having a rapid impact on the market.1
This conference brings together academics, policy makers and business people to discuss the possibilities for and barriers to energy efficiency and energy conservation, on a global scale in general and in China in particular.
Questions to be addressed are the following:
- What are the main strategic scenarios in China and the European Union to secure energy supplies?
- Will the rivalry between the main Asian energy consumer countries (China, Japan, India and South Korea), as well as the EU and U.S., for a share in Persian and Caspian energy production become an obstacle to the uninterrupted flow of oil and gas?
- How can producer-consumer dialogue and regional cooperation help reduce internal security risks in producer countries?
- What is the relationship between energy efficiency and global energy security?
- What policies and measures should be adopted to improve the efficiency of energy use?
- Will a rise in oil prices speed up the development and implementation of energy efficient policies?
- Could the experiences of energy conservation in Europe serve as a model for energy conservation policies in China?
- How can governments better stimulate investment in energy-efficient technologies?
- What are the opportunities for and barriers to international cooperation on energy efficiency?
- How could advances in energy-efficient technologies and processes in Europe be put to effective use in developing countries?
For more information please contact:
Ms Marloes Rozing, MA
Seminar Coordinator
International Institute for Asian Studies
P.O. Box 9515, 2300 RA Leiden, the Netherlands
T +31-(0)71-527 2227
F +31-(0)71-527 4162
Email: M.Rozing@let.leidenuniv.nl
1. European Commission, ‘Doing More with Less: Green Paper on Energy Efficiency', Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, (2005).