International Cooperation Key to Solving Pending Energy Crisis, Environmentalist Tells ADB

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - International cooperation is needed on an unprecedented scale to address the world's unsustainable energy economy and avoid future calamity, a leading environmentalist told ADB today.

Giving an address in ADB's eminent speaker forum, Maurice Strong, a senior advisor to various international organizations, corporations, and governments, said that developing countries, notably the People's Republic of China and India, are rapidly increasing their dependence on imports and can be expected to add substantially to world demand for oil and gas.

"Innovative practices and development support on a much larger scale will be needed to affect the immense increase in energy supplies required for the poor and disadvantaged at prices they can afford," he said.

"Paradoxically, trying to do this from traditional energy sources, including renewable alternatives at the present state of the art, is bound to produce major increases in demand and tend to drive prices upward. If we do not address this dilemma and do so in the immediate future, we will be sowing the seeds for a world-scale calamity which will threaten the peace, security and stability of the entire international community."

In his address on Energy and the Environmental Challenge in Northeast Asia, Mr. Strong called for all to join in the launching of an energy revolution that will drive a radical transition from today's unsustainable energy economy.

"Today business as usual is no longer an option. If we do not act now to avoid the potentially catastrophic consequences of passivity or neglect by the time the crisis that will result becomes more apparent it will be too late to avert it," he said.

He also pointed out that the environment and sustainable development must be recognized as opening up promising new areas of economic opportunities, for technological and institutional innovation and for the development of environmental services and products.

"I am convinced that the new generation of economic opportunities for this region can be driven primarily by its transition to a sustainable development pathway and that energy is at the core of this challenge," he said.

The eminent speaker forum is organized by ADB's Regional and Sustainable Development Department.

Mr. Strong's previous assignments include, senior advisor to the World Bank president, and UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan. He was Secretary General of two major international UN Conferences - the UN Conference on the Human Environment (1972) and driving force behind the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) (1992).

Read the full speaking notes.