School Hangzhou Foreign Languages School Delegate Qian, Yijiao Country United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Topic Energy for Sustainable Development

Noting the world’s thirst for energy, the destabilising swings of oil prices of previous year, the energy crisis which brought devastating effects to global economy and the tension among oil input and output countries, UK believes that one of the most urgent tasks for all countries is implement the sustainable development and find new ways to create renewables.

In resolutions adopted by the General Assembly in 1996, the ECOSOC has suggested a movement towards sustainable patterns of production, distribution and use of energy.i The ninth session of the CSD discussed the advancing of this movement at the intergovernmental level. “On the energy issue, there was a need to adopt relevant measures to foster international efforts, including raising the efficiency of energy production and consumption, use of non-traditional sources of energy and exchange of environmentally sound technologies.”ii UN invites all countries to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, taking into account the Rio principles, including that of common but differentiated responsibilities as set out in the principle 7 of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.iii

In the year 1987, the Brudtland Report brought about the concept of sustainable development, which is yet the heart of the UK's domestic and international policies.

The UK is strongly committed to sustainable development, and engages fully in UN debate on all aspects of the subject. We are a major donor to UNEP and UN-Habitat. We are members of CSD and ECOSOC, and of the Governing Council of both UNEP and UN-Habitat. On the new energy issue, The UK is focusing its efforts in this area through leading the development of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), which was launched by the UK at the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002. The UK government has put much emphasize on this issue. In Energy Challenge, a review published by DTI, Mr. Blair said, “It is clear that we must significantly increase investment in, and support for, renewable energy so that it plays a larger role in our energy needs. This is vital not just to give us a secure source of energy but also to meet our obligations to our children to tackle climate change.”iv

The UK looks for long-term sustainable energy solutions, and we aim at reducing fossil fuels’ proportion in energy consumption (i.e. use renewables) and enhance energy efficiency. In 2006, the parliament passed the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act. And the government well implements the strategy “Integrate

the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources”.v The UK has put itself on a path to maximize the use of renewables in residential and commercial sector. In April 2002 the Renewables Obligation (RO) (and the analogous Renewables Obligation (Scotland)) came into effect.vi Renewable energy counts for four per cent of total energy consumption.

The EU Directive proposes that Member States adopt national targets for renewables that are consistent with reaching the overall EU target of 12 per cent of energy (22.1 per cent of electricity) from renewables by 2010. Therefore, UK suggests an analogous standard should be carried out in the UN system. Technology aid could be assisted to developing countries so as to help them improve the efficiency in fuel extraction and the innovation of new energy.

This assisting programme could take the form of joint activities, memorandums of aiding, and participation of members of other relevant regional organisations in the activities of the sub-programme and vice versa.

Promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction underpinned by human rights, democracy, good governance and protection of the environment is one of the highlights of UK’s international priorities.vii We hope to achieve global prosperity by promoting a faster transition to a sustainable, low carbon economy.

ENERGY future for all (resolution adopted by the GA in 1996) ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL STARTS DISCUSSIONS ON TOBACCO OR HEALTH, HIV/AIDS, ENERGY AND PROCLAMATION OF INTERNATIONAL YEARS 19970714 Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution 1, annex I.) Foreword by the Rt Hon. Tony Blair MP, the Energy Challenge, Department of Trade and Industry, July 2006 UN Millennium Development Goals Report 2006 Parliamentary approval of the Renewables Obligation Orders under The Utilities Act 2000 was given in March 2002. Active Diplomacy for a Changing World: The UK's International Priorities' - Updated Highlights June 2006

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