From 1 to 4 June 2004, Germany hosted the
International
Conference for Renewable Energies Bonn 2004, as announced by Chancellor
Gerhard Schröder at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
September 2002 in Johannesburg.
In Paragraph 9 of their "
Political Declaration", the participants agreed
"to work within a 'global policy network' together with representatives
from parliaments, local and regional authorities, academia, the private
sector, international institutions, international industry associations,
consumers, civil society, women's groups, and relevant partnerships
worldwide. This informal network should take into account the work already
being undertaken by existing partnerships and should promote a
comprehensive and open exchange of diverse perspectives, lessons, and
experiences in the development and application of renewable energies".
Thus, the formation of REN21 as a global policy network is one important
outcome of this first international conference on the subject of renewable
energies.
renewables 2004 charted the way towards an expansion of renewable energies
worldwide, responding to the call of the Johannesburg summit for the
global development of renewable energy. It also kept up the momentum
generated by the coalition of like-minded countries for promotion of
renewable energies (known as the Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition,
JREC).
Plenary Session at the International Conference
for Renewable Energies (Photo: GTZ, Ostermeier)
Among the 3600 participants were official governmental delegations
including energy, environmental and development ministers, representatives
of the United Nations and other international and non-governmental
organisations, civil society and the private sector.
Conference convener was the government of the Federal Republic of Germany,
represented by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development (BMZ) and
the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and
Nuclear Safety (BMU).
renewables 2004 addressed these central issues: How can the proportion of
renewable energies used in industrialised and developing countries be
substantially increased, and how can their advantages and potential be
better used?
The conference concentrated in particular on the following themes:
- Formation of enabling political framework conditions allowing the market
development of renewable energies
- Increase in private and public financing in order to secure reliable
demand for renewable energies
- Human and institutional capacity building, and coordination and
intensification of research and development.
Co-chairs Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul and Jürgen Trittin congratulate each
other at the closing of renewables2004. (Photo: IISD)
The major outcome of the conference was the
International Action
Programme which includes concrete actions and commitments put forward by
a large number of governments, international organisations and
stakeholders from civil society, the private sector and other
stakeholder groups. In 2006, REN21 has carried out a
review of the IAP with very encouraging results, demonstrating the
effectiveness of such international processes.
The conference participants also developed a set of
Policy Recommendations for Renewable Energies based on current
agreements on policies and decision-making process designed to promote
renewable energies. It builds on experiences and lessons learnt from
policies, programmes, projects and other initiatives in the public and
private sectors worldwide.
The diversity of challenges, resource opportunities and financing and
market conditions among and within regions and countries implies that
different approaches are required. Thus, these non-binding
recommendations provide decision-makers with a menu of policy options
based on available experience and knowledge. They can be of benefit to
governments, international organisations and stakeholders as they
develop new approaches and political strategies and address the roles
and responsibilities of key actors.
