Making inroads for sustainable energy
When you think of international security – does sustainable energy come to mind? It may not be among the most traditional of security concerns, but it affects us all in one way or another – and it is among the key topics dealt with by the OSCE. And we have just concluded our annual Economic and Environmental Forum, the main event of the OSCE’s economic and environmental dimension.
Hosted by the Czech Republic, this forum gathers government representatives, civil society, the business community and other international organizations in Prague to identify the most pressing economic and environmental challenges and consider how we can work together to address them.
The 30th Economic and Environmental Forum
This is the 30th anniversary of the event, and the theme of this year’s Forum – post-pandemic sustainable recovery – couldn’t be more timely. We discussed the impact of COVID-19 on jobs, small businesses and supply chains in the OSCE region and across the globe as well as how to leverage the OSCE to advance sustainable economic recovery.
There is a great deal of good we are doing and more that we can do, and this is vital given that we are on the brink of a potentially unprecedented energy crisis. In the wake of Russia’s war against Ukraine, energy security is not only on the minds of women and men around the world but it is also at the forefront of the international agenda.
This is particularly evident in Europe. Its proximity to the conflict and reliance on natural gas mean it is feeling the intense pressure of diminished energy supplies and increasing energy prices. With these come the risk of economic recession. To complicate matters further, this comes as energy demand has returned to pre-pandemic levels. As global economies emerged from lockdowns, the economic surge, perhaps the largest in history, has helped to propel the energy system into its most turbulent period since the oil crisis of the 1970s. The war has added to the turmoil, driving price hikes and threatening power shortages for many European countries.
What’s more, because Russia and Ukraine are important suppliers of energy transition metals such as copper, lithium, aluminium and palladium, the war against Ukraine has cast uncertainty over their availability and the global supply. The resulting shortfalls in materials for green technologies could result in a sharp slow-down of the ongoing transition to clean energy globally and imperil our efforts to tackle climate change.
The war is also causing severe damage to the environment in Ukraine. We are therefore working to assess its impact in more detail and to develop emergency action plans to remediate the damage done.
An opportunity to build resilient infrastructure
While these challenges are very real, this crisis adds urgency to the opportunity to make the renewables sector more resilient. Together with the COVID-19 pandemic, the war has highlighted the need for countries to strengthen their domestic capacity to build clean technologies. The crisis is also adding further incentive for countries to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by investing in renewable energy and better managing domestic energy demand.
The OSCE is already supporting the efforts of our participating States to diversify their energy sources to include renewables, alternative fuels, and other energy efficiency measures. For example, we are working to improve regional security and sustainable connectivity between Asia and Europe. We support ports in the Caspian Sea and Black Sea Region and dry ports in Central Asia through the employment of renewable energy and energy efficiency, digitalization and trade facilitation as well as by creating economic opportunities for women in ports management and in the energy sector. Last week, in addition to the EEF, we also organized a training course in Le Havre for women in sustainable ports management. Furthermore, we are about to launch a new initiative to mitigate climate change threats on energy infrastructure in many of our participating States.
Reducing the ecological footprint of cities
Cities consume more than 75% of the world’s energy, though they house only 56% of the world’s population. Cities are expected to generate more than 2 billion tons of waste annually by 2025. Clearly, their ecological footprint must be reduced. But there is also opportunity to put cities at the forefront of ongoing regional and global efforts to apply low-carbon energy sources and technologies. This is yet another area in which the OSCE is supporting participating States.
Regional co-operation is essential to address multiple risks posed by climate change
For almost a decade, the OSCE has been working with participating States in Central Asia, South Caucasus, Eastern Europe, and more recently in South-Eastern Europe, to assess potential security risks stemming from climate change.
So far, 42 hotspots have been identified in four regions with the involvement of more than 700 local stakeholders. Most of these hotspots are shared natural resources, creating common challenges and opportunities for co-operation.
We are identifying joint risk reduction measures to support climate adaptation in selected hotspots, such as strengthening climate resilience across protected areas in Shar/Šara Mountains and the Korab Massif area in South-Eastern Europe, and promoting cross-border co-operation on wildfire management in the South Caucasus. We are planning similar initiatives in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.Last year in Stockholm, Ministers of the 57 OSCE participating States discussed climate change and agreed to do even more to intensify dialogue and co-operation towards climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation.
Our meeting in Prague helped advance this work, and I am hopeful that the upcoming COP27 in Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt will reinforce the co-operative spirit and enable further progress in climate adaptation, mitigation and finance, which are all crucial for addressing the wide spectrum of risks generated by climate change. This is truly a challenge that we can only overcome by working together.