29 April 2003
IEA Energy Ministers Vow to Combat Oil Supply Disruptions
(Urge international cooperation to diversify supplies, increase
efficiency) (1480)
The International Energy Agency (IEA) says its member countries stand
ready to counter any disruptions of oil supplies through the
"judicious" use of emergency oil stocks, demand restraint and other
measures.
Energy ministers from the 26 IEA member countries gathered April 28-29
for a meeting in Paris held once every two years, where they discussed
energy security and other issues.
In a final communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, they said that
growing oil demand in major energy-consuming countries requires that
those countries establish or boost their emergency stocks to
"appropriate" levels.
The IEA vowed to engage Russia and other key non-member countries in
its dialogue on energy policy and expressed support for intensified
energy security cooperation with them. The Russian energy minister,
invited by the IEA, addressed the meeting April 29, according to news
reports.
The IEA welcomed the "reinforced" dialogue between oil-producing and
oil-consuming countries. This dialogue, it said, had contributed to
limiting the effects of a "potentially serious crisis" in world energy
markets.
Citing the increasing reliance of many countries' power-generation
sectors on natural gas, the energy forum expressed concern about their
related dependence on gas imports.
The IEA said that "substantial" new investment will be needed to meet
the projected demand for energy, reduce energy-related greenhouse
emissions and increase poor communities' access to electricity in less
developed countries.
It called for the development of national policies and programs that
promote greater diversification of energy sources and energy
efficiency.
And citing the prominent role of technological innovation in those
efforts, the IEA countries pledged to develop technologies for a
hydrogen fuel-based economy.
During the meeting U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham urged
international collaboration on advancing hydrogen energy technologies,
primarily hydrogen-powered cars.
IEA President Brian Wilson said this proposal won strong support at
the meeting, according to news reports.
The IEA member countries also committed themselves to enhancing the
role of renewable energy sources in the energy mix and making basic
energy services available to a greater number of the world's poor.
Following is the text of the IEA final communiqué:
(begin text)
Paris 29 April 2003
COMMUNIQUE
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY
Meeting of the Governing Board at Ministerial Level
28-29 April 2003
We, the energy ministers of IEA Member countries, meeting in Paris on
the 28-29 April 2003, agree:
Energy Security, Environmental Protection and Economic Growth --"The
Three E's" -- remain robust as the IEA's guiding principles for energy
policy. Reaching our shared goals requires constant adaptation to
changing circumstances and renewal of commitment. This is particularly
true in the context of the current geopolitical instability in key
energy-producing regions, price volatility, demand growth and a
growing threat to our environment.
Energy security remains our focus
We strongly affirm our readiness to combat any disruption of oil
supplies, including through the judicious use of emergency oil stocks,
demand restraint and other appropriate response measures.
We welcome the benefit of reinforced dialogue between producers and
consumers of oil, as well as between the IEA and OPEC [Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries] secretariats, which has contributed to
mitigating the effects of potentially serious crises in world markets
and the economy. We appreciate OPEC Ministers' commitment to keep
world oil markets amply supplied, and we call for attention to the
correlation between oil market volatility and low industry stocks, and
the importance of maintaining adequate stocks to anticipate seasonal
needs and to promote oil market stability.
The Eighth International Energy Forum (IEF), held in Osaka last
September, made a substantial contribution to that dialogue. We look
forward to the Ninth IEF, to be held from 22-24 May, 2004, in
Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and pledge our active support for greater
co-operation between consumers and producers.
Recent energy market events have provided a sharp reminder of the
central role of energy for our near-term security. Insecurity arises
from a range of issues, including geopolitical instability, natural
disasters, terrorism and even poor regulatory design. Increasingly
tight capacity in energy infrastructure and production facilities and
diminished potential for fuel substitution demand renewed attention to
existing energy security policies and procedures. Growing oil demand
in IEA Member and non-Member countries, particularly in transport,
requires greater effort by importing countries to build and hold
appropriate emergency stocks.
Addressing the challenges of investment, diversification, efficiency
and technology
Meeting the longer-term challenges of maintaining a secure, efficient
and safe energy system will require near term action. Substantial new
investment will be needed to provide secure supply, to reduce growing
energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and to overcome the problem of
the lack of access to electricity for more than a quarter of the
world's population.
Diversity by energy type, source and route remains essential to
improving energy security. Each country has chosen its own mix of
fuels among oil, gas, coal, nuclear and renewables based on energy
resource endowments and national policies. We call for the continuing
development of policies and programs, consistent with national
priorities, to promote diversification, including increased support
for energy research, development, demonstration and deployment. We
remain particularly interested in the acceleration of the commercial
availability of cleaner technologies with low pollution and carbon
emissions.
While appreciating that much has been done since the first oil shock
of 1973 to reduce energy use per unit of output, more can and must be
done. We commit ourselves to achieving greater energy efficiency both
through national programs and through international technology
collaboration. To do so, we will increase incentives to efficiency in
market and consumer behaviour, in particular in the transport sector,
for buildings and equipment. We will also seek to reduce energy
intensity through R&D, technological innovation and international
collaboration.
Our high and rising dependence on oil, particularly in transport,
poses significant economic, security and environmental challenges. We
recognise the importance of working together, and with the private
sector, to accelerate research and development in fuel efficiency and
competitive alternative fuel sources and carriers in our economies and
world-wide. We note, in particular, our intent to further develop the
technologies for a hydrogen future.
We note the increasing reliance on natural gas in the energy mix as
well as the growing dependence in many countries on natural gas
imports, and have considered its implication for overall energy
security. Notwithstanding the regionally discrete nature of gas
markets, national level production and distribution problems can
nonetheless affect global energy markets. We call on the Secretariat
to continue its assessment of these vulnerabilities, and to identify
policy options and strategies, including securing diverse gas sources
and routes as well as technology development, to contribute to a
greater security of gas supply. The collaboration of government and
industry is essential to this effort.
Strengthening and extending the forces of the marketplace within and
beyond our borders can contribute to enhancing energy security,
economic growth and environmental protection. We commit ourselves to
strengthen the policy framework permitting markets to meet our global
investment and trade needs and to promote enabling environments that
will attract private investment.
Promoting International Co-operation
We affirm the increasing importance of IEA non-Member countries in
world energy markets and warmly welcome the participation of Russian
Energy Minister Igor Yusufov at this meeting. We will engage Russia
and other key countries more actively in our dialogue on energy
policy, and we direct the Secretariat to reinforce a world-view in its
work. In particular, we encourage the acceleration of energy security
co-operation with international organisations and IEA non-Member
countries, especially those critical to global energy supply and
demand. We recognise that only through a more global framework can
security be assured.
Committing to sustainable development
We acknowledge the importance of, and our commitment to, implementing
the agreements reached at the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable
Development of September 2002. We particularly commit ourselves to
enhance the role of renewables and other lower carbon-emitting sources
of energy in the energy mix, and work to shape a future where basic
energy services will be available to an increasing number of the
world's citizens. We will continue our efforts to mitigate the impact
of energy use on the global environment, and in particular on the
global climate system, consistent with our efforts under the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change. We will continue to stimulate
the development of new market-oriented instruments essential to
reaching our sustainable development goals at lower costs. We also
call for the further development of technologies needed to meet these
goals, and to this end, with the help of the Secretariat, call for a
review of the focus of our cooperative R&D programs in strategic
areas.
We reaffirm our commitment to promoting a sustainable energy future,
meeting the social, environmental and economic challenges this
entails.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
