Top > Results of the G8 Energy Ministers Meeting in Rome, Italy
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshihiro Nikai visited Rome, Italy, from May 23 to 26 to attend the G8 Energy Ministers Meeting.
High on the agenda at the meeting were energy strategies to respond to climate change, needs to secure energy investments from a viewpoint of energy security, and energy poverty in Africa. The meeting also included the signing ceremony to launch the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC), for which the basic framework had been agreed on at the ministerial-meeting under the initiative of Minister Nikai in London in December 2008, and a presentation by Minister Nikai on the results of the Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable, which he hosted in April 2009.
Joint Statements of the G8 Energy Ministers Meeting
1. G8 + EC
- Promotion of economic recovery through acceleration of the transition towards low-carbon, energy efficient development
- Contribution to the success of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process
- Commitment to the launch of 20 large-scale CCS demonstration projects
- Acknowledgement of the fact that a growing number of countries consider nuclear energy to have the potential to contribute to energy security and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and of the Ministers’ intention to enhance international cooperation on the latest technologies for plant construction, operation, and so forth
- Significance of energy-saving as a means to improve energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Re-confirmation of the potential and usefulness of the sectoral approach - Importance of the WTO negotiations for the reduction of tariff barriers on environmental goods and services
- Reinforcement of advisory functions to developing countries by public and private experts at national and sectoral levels
- Launch of a process that could lead to the establishment of a low-carbon energy technology platform
- Definition of a work agenda with priorities and timelines at the forthcoming IEA Ministers’ Meeting in October 2009
2. G8 + EC + G5 (China, India, Brazil, Mexico, and South Africa) + Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt
Climate change
- Necessity to increase energy efficiency and accelerate the development of low-emission energy technologies, including renewable energy sources, smart grid systems, next-generation vehicles, CCS, and for those interested, nuclear power
- Promotion of international cooperation and coordination toward sharing knowledge on low-emission technologies
- Support for the cooperation of related international organizations
IPEEC
- The G8 Countries, Brazil, China, Korea and Mexico conducted a signing ceremony on May 24 to launch IPEEC.
- IPEEC Members invite other countries to join IPEEC.
Investments
- Need for policies to increase transparency and reduce price volatility in the markets
- Significance of energy dialogues, including those held through the IEF and those in Jeddah, London and Tokyo (Asian Ministerial Energy Round Table)
- Expectations for the activities conducted by the high-level steering group in preparation for the next IEF Ministers’ Meeting in Mexico, as a follow-up to the London Energy Meeting
- Support for harmonized actions by relevant authorities to improve the transparency of energy commodity markets and supervision of over-the-counter markets
- Promotion of market transparency by reinforcing the Joint Oil Data Initiative (JODI)
Combating energy poverty in Africa
- Continuous endorsement of the existing programs to solve energy poverty problems by the World Bank and other institutions
- Support for the proposal for the creation of an Expert-Level Working Group by G8 and other countries
Terms of Reference for the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC)
Website on G8 Energy Ministers Meeting 2009 provide by the Government of Italy
http://www.g8energy2009.it/index.shtml
Release Date
May 29, 2009
Division in charge,
International Affairs Division, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy
