PLENARY SESSION: THE FUTURE OF ENERGY
Dear Chairman, Excellencies, Distinguished Panel Members, Ladies and Gentlemen!
Let me start by congratulating all the participants of the 26th International Conference, the Government and the people of Turkmenistan on the 30th anniversary of Independence of Turkmenistan and the progress Turkmenistan is making in its development.
I am delighted to join and address the Plenary session dedicated to the Future of Energy.
I find this discussion very timely – as you know last month within the 76th session of the UN General Assembly the UN Secretary-General António Guterres convened a High-level Dialogue on Energy, and in four days the 26th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will begin.
Let me be vocal – we still have large portions of the world population without access to sustainable energy. As highlighted by the UN Secretary-General, over 760 million people around the world still lack access to electricity. Some 2.8 billion people lack access to clean cooking solutions. This means that nearly one third of the world’s population, mostly women and children, will continue to be exposed to harmful household air pollution.
Let me quote him: “How we produce and use energy is the main cause of the climate crisis. Emissions from energy account for about 75 per cent of total greenhouse gas emission. So, we have a double imperative – to end energy poverty and to limit climate change. And we have an answer that will fulfil both imperatives. Affordable, renewable and sustainable energy for all”.
Energy lies at the heart of both the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. Sustainable
Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) represents a first-ever universal goal on energy, with five targets to be achieved by 2030. Energy is inextricably linked to climate change and many other SDGs, including poverty eradication, food security, health, education, prosperity, gender equality, jobs, transport, ocean, water and sanitation, and the empowerment of women and youth.
Energy can also play a central role in countries’ efforts to recover from the COVID-19 crisis in ways that make them better, stronger and more resilient. Energy services are essential for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic – including for powering healthcare facilities and keeping medicines cold, supplying clean water for hand washing, and powering communications services to connect people, share information, and facilitate education during social distancing.
Dear Participants!
As many countries around the world are struggling to recover from the socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, we also observe today the soaring of energy prices across many regions of the world, especially in Europe. While this may be good for energy exporting countries and companies, it may also undermine global gains made over the past period on achieving the SDG-7.
The current situation in energy markets make us rethink about the future of energy and its role in promoting sustainable development. It also demonstrates the need for uninterrupted energy transit and accelerated transition to sustainable energy sources.
This is in line with the “energy decarbonization with universal access” that the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2019 identified as one of the entry points that offer the most promise for achieving the transformations towards sustainable development at the necessary scale and speed.
The much-needed transformation of our energy system is intertwined with a number of demanding challenges our society is confronted with, including global impacts of rapid urbanization, food security, land degradation, territorial conflicts reinforced by energy security concerns and the rights of children and youth.
All these aspects are core elements that need to be addressed in order to build a just society for future generations.
An energy revolution based on renewables and energy efficiency is needed not just to accelerate economic progress and development, but also to slash emissions that are rapidly warming our planet. The energy sector today, dominated by fossil fuels, accounts for 73 per cent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
The Global Sustainable Development Report 2020 highlights that the largest increase in the use of renewables has come from the electricity sector, driven by the rapid expansion of solar and wind power. The good news is that renewable power generation costs have fallen sharply over the past decade, driven by steadily improving technologies, economies of scale, competitive supply chains and improving developer experience.
However, the renewable energy generation capacities are not yet sufficient to meet the global energy demand. An acceleration of modern renewables in all sectors and increased investments are required to achieve the target of substantially increasing the share of renewable energy while, in the meantime, countries continue to rely on conventional energy sources.
As governments start to define a pathway out of the COVID-19 crisis, we must now ensure that all countries have the chance to be part of an energy transition that seizes the opportunity to significantly improve the wellbeing of people, and the planet.
Progress must be greatly accelerated through a shift to a system-level paradigm that embraces greater commitment and innovation and challenges the habitual ways in which energy access policy and investments have been directed historically.
The energy access challenge is complex, multi-dimensional, and multi-sectoral. It cannot be resolved by fragmented and piecemeal efforts. It requires a bold, system-level approach. Achieving universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services by 2030 can be met. Billions of people are depending on it and failure is not an option.
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to note Turkmenistan’s active engagement in global discussions on energy security, efficiency and diversification of supplies, climate change, innovations and investments for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
I also commend the efforts of the Government of Turkmenistan to promote Sustainable energy initiatives at regional and global levels. Interesting, in this respect, are the calls by the President of Turkmenistan on the development of a UN strategy on measures for the development of low-carbon energy and the creation, under the UN auspices, of an international «Road Map» on the development of hydrogen as one of the priority directions in the energy sector.
While there is still a long way to the universal use of alternative energy sources, the reliable transit and supplies still offer potentially easy and widespread access to energy.
I would like to mention Turkmenistan’s active stance on promoting safe and reliable energy transit as part of establishing global energy security mechanisms as evidenced by two UN GA resolutions in 2008 and 2013 sponsored by Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan also promotes formation of an International Expert Group on the development of a UN international legal mechanism that will ensure compliance with general principles of doing business in the global energy space.
In practical terms, Turkmenistan’s mega project initiative – the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline – is an example which can support the implementation of the UNGA resolution on stable energy transit, as well as bring sustainable development to the countries, along with big investments and employment opportunities for thousands of people and local communities that may not otherwise be present.
Projects like TAPI are clear example of the indivisibility and integrated nature of the global economic development, peace and security, and climate agendas. In this respect, such projects aimed at enhancing the access to energy in the region can be considered as contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. They are important because they go beyond the national boundaries, national and regional centers, and are expected to spread the benefits of development broadly and fairly.
Dear friends!
Concluding my statement, let me once again highlight the importance and timeliness of the Conference and the organizers, and particularly the Government of Turkmenistan, and wish productive discussions to all the participants.
I thank you for your attention. /// nCa, 29 October 2021