WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 026870 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV ENRG TRGY KGHG KPAO KSCA XX SUBJECT: WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE (WIREC),MARCH 4-6, 2008: WRAP-UP REPORT AND ACTION REQUESTS REF: A) STATE 9421 B) STATE 9413 ¶1. Action requests in paras 12 and 13. SUMMARY -------------- ¶2. Summary: The Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008) and the co-located but separately managed side events, trade show, and business conference eclipsed expectations. Some 3,000 delegates from 118 countries, including more than 100 Ministers, attended the conference, at which the President and four U.S. Cabinet members gave keynote addresses. More than 100 top-level speakers contributed to the lively interaction among governments, industry, and stakeholder groups. During the conference, governments, industry and stakeholder groups made more than 100 pledges for the accelerated uptake of renewable energy. Department appreciates posts efforts on behalf of WIREC particularly the encouragement of ministerial- level delegations, and following-up with host governments to make substantial commitments to the Washington International Action Program (WIAP). At the pledge plenary on March 6, it was decided to keep the WIAP open for additional pledges until April 4, 2007. Since the close of WIREC, we have received substantial pledges from Rwanda, St. Kitts & Nevis, and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO). Department requests that posts follow-up with their host governments to encourage more pledges. Paras 12 and 13 contain discrete action requests for posts that received formal invitations for the host government to attend WIREC and for posts that did not. End Summary. WIREC EXCEEDS ALL EXPECTATONS -------------- ¶3. The Washington International Renewable Energy Conference was held from March 4-6 in Washington, D.C., at the Washington Convention Center. WIREC 2008 consisted of a Ministerial level meeting, a business conference, a trade show, and official side events. Each WIREC component exceeded the expectations of its respective organizers. The WIREC Ministerial meeting attracted 3,000 delegates from 118 countries. Approximately, 100 Ministers, two Deputy Prime Ministers and one Vice President attended. The Ministerial sessions were led by more than one hundred leading speakers, including a keynote address by President Bush on the morning of March 5. More than 200 media registered for the Ministerial and international coverage was extensive. Participants attended over 25 plenary and concurrent thematic sessions which featured interactive sessions, several led by Ministers, on WIREC's four themes: market adoption and finance, agriculture and rural development, sub-national authorities, and research and development. The WIREC agenda and presentations by many of the speakers can be found on the official WIREC website www.WIREC2008.gov. A summary of the WIREC 2008 proceedings can be found at www.iisd.ca/ymb/wirec2008/. ¶4. The trade show attracted 242 leading renewable energy exhibitors from all over the globe. 250 speakers led the business conference, covering recent developments in wind, solar, biomass, hydo, geothermal, biomass and biofuels. Over 80 official side events took place at the conference. These co-located, parallel events attracted an additional 4,000 registered participants. WIREC OUTCOMES: PLEDGES TO ACCELERATE THE UPTAKE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY -------------- -------------- ¶5. In addition to the quality of the speakers, the audience, and their interactions in both formal and informal settings, WIREC achieved several other important outcomes. By the end of the WIREC STATE 00026870 002 OF 003 SUBJECT: WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE (WIREC),MARCH 4-6, 2008: WRAP-UP REPORT AND ACTION REQUES conference, countries and other major stakeholders, including local authorities, companies, and civil society from more than 40 countries, had made more than one hundred significant pledges to take specific, quantifiable actions to accelerate the uptake of renewable energy in line with WIREC's vision statement. ¶6. Pledges were highlighted on the final day at the pledge plenary session. DOE Assistant Secretary Andy Karsner provided an overview of the pledge process, noted that the US had fulfilled the pledges it had made at the 2004 Bonn Renewables Conference, and outlined the pledges that the US was making at WIREC. Karsner noted that the pledges that could be made as part of the Washington International Action Program (WIAP) would be accepted until April 4, 2008. ¶7. After Karsner finished his presentation, U/S Dobriansky called on a representative group of Ministers whose countries had made significant pledges to briefly discuss their renewable energy initiatives. Among the countries recognized were Jordan, Canada, Denmark, Cape Verde, Brazil, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Norway, and Germany. WIREC OUTCOMES: REGIONAL CONSULTATIONS -------------- ¶8. Another key outcome was the comprehensive presentation by Buyelwa Sonjica, Minister of Minerals and Energy of South Africa, of the regional consultations that the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) organized in Africa, Latin America and Australia, prior to WIREC 2008. Minister Sonjica observed that Africa's hydropower potential remained untapped. She emphasized that many developing countries lack renewable energy goals, suitable financing, business models and enabling policy frameworks. She noted that many governments do not provide a level playing field for renewable energy with traditional energy sources. She highlighted the potential role that renewables can play to address energy security, poverty alleviation, climate change, and the negative effects of increasing traditional fuel prices. A copy of the REEEP report will be included in the official Conference report which we plan to distribute to posts by Spring 2008. WIREC OUTCOME: INFO TOOL -------------- ¶9. One of the major outcomes of WIREC was to provide an information tool kit that will enable users to access information on best practices in renewable energy that deal with WIREC's focal themes. To facilitate this,the WIREC team worked with reegle, the information gateway for renewable energy and energy efficiency, www.reegle.info Reegle is a unique state of the art tool, allowing for fast and user friendly access to updated and relevant renewable energy information for use by all interested parties. NEXT HOST: INDIA -------------- ¶10. India's offer to host the next global renewable energy conference in early 2010 was another key outcome of the WIREC conference. WASHINGTON THANKS EMBASSIES FOR THEIR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF WIREC -------------- - ¶11. Washington agencies want to recognize and express appreciation for the fundamental role that Embassies played in the successful outcomes of WIREC. Your diligent work convinced many governments to field excellent ministerial-level delegations. Furthermore, Embassy suggestions for invitations enriched the global representation of civil society at WIREC. In many cases, Embassies assisted delegates and speakers with necessary logistical arrangements and travel documentation. We also want to recognize posts for their tireless and creative efforts with host governments that undoubtedly STATE 00026870 003 OF 003 ACTION REQUESTS -------------- ¶12. Action Request for Posts Who Received Formal Invitations for Host Governments to Attend WIREC: As we have provided an additional window for countries to make pledges until April 4, we ask posts in countries that attended WIREC, but have not yet made a pledge, to consider making one. The current list of countries and other stakeholders that have made a pledge can be found on the Renewable Energy Policy Network (REN21) website at www.ren21.net/wiap/wirec. Ren21, our international partner for WIREC, has agreed to follow-up on the pledges and report results at the Indian global renewable energy conference in 2010. Pledges are quite simple to make and we urge countries to make the pledge on-line by going to the home page of the official WIREC website www.wirec2008.gov and clicking on the green pledge button. We are particularly interested in posts demarching at an appropriate level the following MEM countries to consider a pledge for inclusion in the WIAP: China, South Africa, India, Korea, and Mexico. We would appreciate a cable response from these posts on the results of these demarches. End Action Request. ¶13. Action Request for Posts Who Did Not Receive Formal Invitations For Host Governments to Attend WIREC: At the discretion of post, posts in countries that did not receive formal invitations to WIREC may also elect to approach the host government, or other stakeholders in-country as appropriate, about the possibility of a WIREC pledge during the additional window for countries to make pledges until April 4. The current list of countries and other stakeholders that have made a pledge can be found on the Renewable Energy Policy Network (REN21) website at www.ren21.net/wiap/wirec. Ren21, our international partner for WIREC, has agreed to follow-up on the pledges and report results at the Indian global renewable energy conference in 2010. Pledges are quite simple to make and we urge countries to make the pledge on-line by going to the home page of the official WIREC website www.wirec2008.gov and clicking on the green pledge button. End Action Request. POC FOR QUESTIONS -------------- ¶14. For additional information about WIREC 2008 and the pledge process, contact OES Special Assistant Camille Hill at HillCD2@state.gov and consult reftels and the official WIREC website at www.wirec2008.gov. ¶15. Minimize considered. RICE