Press Release 13 November 2007

CAILLE', CALLERA, TESTA TO YOUTH PROGRAMME:
THE FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS

Rome, 13 November 2007 - Chicco  Testa, Chair of the organizing committee of the 20th World Energy Congress, gave his welcome to the workshop held this morning as part of the Youth Programme of the 20th World Energy Congress.

In his opening statement, Andre Caillé, chair of the World Energy Council, announced that "The future world will better and fairer". 

Such optimism is based on the evidence that "the planet is provided with enough energy resources to meet the needs of all, but the use of such resources needs to be optimised to stop climate change". The World Energy Council has worked out a roadmap to guide us through the next 50 years".

Gilberto Callera, chairman of WEC Italy, shared such optimism and said to the young experts attending the conference: "the future is in your hands because we need to make the right decisions today if we want a better world tomorrow".

Bruno Lapillone, Enerdate Vice-President, while presenting  the conclusions of a study on energy efficiency, showed some caution in describing future scenarios. "It is true, there is a lot of hope, but we need to be realistic". With respect to energy efficiency he outlined the "bullet points" to meet the most urgent short-term objectives, namely:

• Reduction of financial vulnerability resulting from  oil prices
• Slowing down on deforestation
• Generation of savings in energy investments, especially in developing countries.
  

Energy efficiency can be achieved through  rational use in residential consumptions and is one of the priority measures that are likely to be faced with difficulties. In particular Lapillone pointed out a lack of awareness of the real benefits and the limited returns on investments of  high efficiency plants.

How was  energy efficiency achieved in the past few years? Primarily through economic incentives: loans, tax incentives or VAT credits/reductions for new plants particularly in developed countries.

Lapillone said that in all countries there are institutions whose mandate is to implement energy efficiency policies: with 90% of all countries provided with  Departments responsible for such policies, and 50% of all countries equipped with local or regional agencies (some 600 in the EU alone).

WEC Media contact:
Mathias Hocke: hocke@worldenergy.org
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7734 5996
Stephan Albrechtskirchinger: albrechtskirchinger@worldenergy.org
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7734 5996