Energy for Sustainable Development

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Yesterday we provided you our thoughts on what we think constitutes a successful CSD-15. We continue to emphasize actions not words, and encourage all of us to spend the remaining 3 months of this CSD Cycle seeking ways to replicate the successful projects and programs that many of us have witnessed in our own countries or in neighboring lands. We are convinced that the goals of CSD-15 and specifically the objectives of this session on Energy for Sustainable Development can best be achieved through practical action and the scaling up of what works.

Yesterday, I mentioned that the CSD Matrix can serve as an important tool in helping us get from words to action. Today, I’d like to illustrate what I meant by that. In our interventions over the next two days, we will focus on one practical and proven "solution" drawn from the 120 plus case studies that are now in the Matrix.

One of the key solutions that emerges clearly from the case studies in the Matrix is Public Sector Efficiency Initiatives. This means, using public sector procurement, investment and operating practices on the buildings the government own to introduce and expand energy-efficient products and services. Changes in procurement and operating practices (something that the governments here can do themselves) can dramatically change the markets for energy efficient products and lead to significant financial savings for the government through reduced energy use and improved health and climate conditions.

The Matrix contains a number of case studies on public sector efficiency programs including examples from Mexico, India, Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, China, and the United States. And I know that dozens of other national, provincial and municipal government programs like these exist around the world.

Let me give you some specific results drawn from these case studies:

What is exciting about these is that these programs and others like them do not need to wait on us diplomats, sitting in the basement of the UN in May to get started. We don’t have to negotiate these. Our task is to disseminate them, replicate them and scale them up.

To do that all anyone need do is contact those who have implemented such programs, whether as strictly government run programs or through public private partnership and figure out how to best make the program work in your country or province or city. The examples I’ve cited come from three partnerships registered with the UN -- PEPS (Promoting an Energy-Efficient Public Sector), Watergy, and REEEP (Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership). Each of us could sit down with individuals representing these partnerships at the USG sponsored Side Event today immediately following this session in Conference Room 7, right outside the door. We encourage all of you interested in of the public sector to spend a few moments with people whose job it is to implement such programs.