16 May 2007 - On 10 May 2007, the European Commission, the German EU-Presidency, and REN21 staged a high-level panel discussion on EU leadership in renewable energy and climate change policies. One day before the CSD negotiations closed - with the failure to agree on a summary document - German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, Egyptian Energy Minister Hassan Younes, European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, and Mika Ohbayashi of Japanese Institute of Sustainable Energy Policy presented their visions for a more sustainable energy future. They could not foresee at this point that the final document to be adopted by the CSD the next day was going to turn out so unambituous that the EU and Switzerland refused to sign it...

Mr Neil Hirst of IEA, and Member of the REN21 Steering Committee, chaired the discussion. He recalled the huge challenge ahead, i.e. to render energy consumption and production climate friendly. He underlined the strong lead taken by the European Union, referring in particular to the decisions taken at the EU Summit in March, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% until 2020 (30% if other major polluters follow suit), and to increase renewable energy to 20% of total consumption. He asked the question of how this initiative could - together with others - become a catalyst for sustainable energy.

Minister Sigmar Gabriel of Germany called for a "strong and action-oriented outcome" to be reached at this CSD, that "should not simply repeat what was decided in Johannesburg in 2002". Against the shortcomings of the current fossil and nuclear-dominated energy system to deal with the climate change challenge, he pointed to the "win-win" benefits that energy efficiency and renewable energy bring to Germany, e.g. 200,000 new jobs created in the renewable energy business. Based on REN21's Renewables Global Status Report, he noted that USD 38bn were invested in renewable energy in 2005, and that more and more countries are adopting targets for renewables. Regarding biofuels, he called for guidelines to ensure that production and consumption are sustainable. Mr Gabriel also underlined the importance of energy efficiency, highlighting the above-mentioned European goal as well as the German goal to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% until 2020. He mentioned Germany's steadily increasing ODA for sustainable energy-related technical cooperation. Further, he emphasised the role of the international partnerships REN21, REEEP and GVEP.

Commissioner Stavros Dimas, looking to the next climate conference to take place in Bali in November, expressed his hope for the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) to become the "nucleus" for a worldwide system. He noted that the EU was responsible for only 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that all industrialised countries, including the United States, should adopt their own cap-and-trade systems or support a worldwide system, as otherwise it would be hard to convince developing economies to take action. He emphasised the positive experience made with the EU ETS, and the fact that through the initial period the emission data has been verified and corrected. Mr Dimas also called to attention the global risk capital fund to boost energy efficiency and renewables in developing countries (GEEREF), which is equipped with EUR 80m by the Commission plus additional amounts by Germany, Italy, and other EU Members, and which will initially focus on sub-saharan Africa.
Minister Hassan Younes of Egypt informed the audience about the current Egyptian energy mix, and presented some examples of successful renewable energy deployment in his country, such as the development of large grid-connected wind farms. He also emphasised the economic challenge for the African continent to tap its considerable resources in wind, hydropower, and solar resources, with a view of increasingly expanding their grids to Europe. Mr Younes expressed his appreciation to Egypt's developing partners for supporting its sustainable energy development.

Ms Mika Ohbayashi of the Japanese Institute of Sustainable Energy Policy, and Member of the REN21 Steering Committee, made an energetic appeal to remind the audience that industrialised countries needed to reduce their CO2 emissions by 80% until 2050 according to the newest report on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Dismissing fossil and nuclear energy, she pleaded for a "renewable future". Referring to dynamic civil society participation at the Johannesburg World Summit of 2002, the renewables 2004 Conference in Bonn, and the Beijing Renewable Energy Conference in 2005, she called for "multi-stakeholder partners to "get together at the same table". Future opportunities that needed to be seized were the upcoming G8 Summit in Heiligendamm/Germany, the UN climate conference in Bali/Indonesia, and the envisaged Washington Renewable Energy Conference in March 2008.