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Introduction
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, good day and a warm welcome to all of you on the occasion of the 4th Asia Clean Energy Forum. I want to extend my special thanks to Her Excellency, Mdm Kristie Kenney, the US Ambassador to the Philippines and Mr Sanjit "Bunker" Roy, founder of Barefoot College, India, for joining us today.
I am very pleased to inform all of you that the Forum has been growing over the years, exceeding our expectations. The Forum has truly become one of the largest and most important events of its kind in the Asia-Pacific Region. Today, we are welcoming over six-hundred participants, from forty-four countries around the globe, including participants from Africa and the Middle East. ADB is eager to hear of your experiences in your home countries, and hope that this will lead to an even more extended partnership on climate change throughout the regions.
Today, I want to share with you our views on clean energy and climate change as a major development issue for the region, and what ADB has been doing in this regard. We hope for a lively exchange of views so that we can further improve our operations and their development impact.
ADB Activities on Clean Energy
First, I can report to all of you that our Developing Member Countries (DMCs) have shown an immense demand for clean energy. I recall that during the opening plenary of the 2008 Forum, I was able to announce that ADB had just reached $1 billion in loans for projects with clean energy components. I can say that in the months that followed, investments increased, and by the end of 2008, ADB had loaned $1.7 billion to clean energy projects.
Second, not only has clean energy been integrated into the development plans of our DMCs, another ADB-led energy initiative is stepping up to promote the use of clean energy. Again, at last year’s Forum, there was a set of workshops held on the issue of energy poverty, and bringing access to energy to the region’s poor. In one year, the groundwork has been laid for a new regional partnership to increase access to energy, and to supply the unmet energy needs of the really poor households using clean, modern energy. The Energy for All Partnership will serve to coordinate regional efforts to scale up and replicate access to energy projects. In this manner, the Energy for All Partnership hopes to provide 100 million additional people in urban and rural areas with access to clean, modern sources of energy, bringing them onto a path of development powered by renewable sources.
Third, to develop a better institutional basis for such initiative, ADB has been working on a new Energy Policy, which will be shortly reviewed by our Board of Directors. The proposed Policy has three main pillars: (i) promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy, (ii) maximization of access to energy for all; and (iii) support for energy sector reform, capacity building, and good governance and accountability in our DMCs. The proposed Policy further reflects our commitment to clean energy and the region's transition to a low-carbon economy. We believe this transition must occur, while we take on board the issues of persistent energy poverty and address questions of energy security in Asia and the Pacific.
Finally, as ADB recognizes the clear link between clean energy and climate change, we are also drafting the Climate Change Implementation Plans – in close partnership with our DMCs and other stakeholders. The region needs to take a lead in mainstreaming the financing of greenhouse gas reduction projects, and ADB is ready to provide its support to find new options to expand the power sector using clean energy and reducing the carbon footprint.
Major Issues for the Asia Clean Energy Forum
Ladies and Gentlemen: in order for us to build on the above achievements and meet the challenges ahead, this Forum presents an excellent opportunity to discuss the many facets of clean energy.
We have divided the discussion sessions into four main tracks. The first two tracks involve clean energy through greater efficiency and energy from the clean, renewable sources. ADB has been increasing its activities in this area. For example, this year, we approved an energy efficiency project for the Philippines, which will distribute 13 million compact fluorescent lamps to home-owners and businesses. The predicted annual savings for this widespread replacement of incandescent lights are up to $100 million in fuel costs and $450 million deferred in new power generation capacity – practically an entire power plant has been rendered unnecessary. Work is already underway to adapt this project to country specific conditions in Pakistan and Viet Nam. Additional steps to scale-up such projects need to be planned.
The third track of discussion is on the Urban and the Sustainable Transport Initiatives. Extremely rapid urbanization has created unsustainable growth in many Asian cities. Many of the cities and their urban infrastructure simply cannot cope with their growth and the influx of more people. Intensive urban management is required, along with a clear set of how to make the region’s cities to become more sustainable. In addition, it is obvious that the cities require more sustainable transport systems. Supporting the development mass transit systems, including bus and rail, as well as reducing the need for private vehicles is critical, but not the complete solution. ADB's Sustainable Transport Initiative has advocated for an approach which combines a better land-use development based on mobility demands of the populace.
The final track of the Forum is on access to energy. The global effort to address climate change is steadily becoming more and more interlinked with the fight against poverty. With millions of Asia’s poor without access to modern [forms of energy in particular poor farmers and poor women-headed households], what better way to meet their needs and ensure that they follow a low carbon path, than by replacing their diesel engines and wood burning stoves with clean and renewable technologies? We will return to that topic shortly, when we launch the Energy for All Partnership formally.
Conclusions
Ladies and Gentlemen: I will conclude my statement by welcoming you all again to the 4th Asia Clean Energy Forum. Let us have inspiring discussions, identifying new avenues on our way into a greener future. I will look forward active and productive discussions. Thank you.