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IISD Reporting Services (IISD RS) has produced daily reports, daily web coverage, and a summary and analysis from this meeting. To download our report please click below in the HTML or PDF icons.
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WFES 2011
Daily web coverage (click on the following links to see our daily web pages)
Summary Highlights of the Summit
Highlights for Monday, 17 January 2011
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO, Masdar, UAE
The fourth World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2011 opened in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on 17 January 2011. The first day of this four-day event was organized around the theme “Policy and Strategy Forum,” and comprised opening statements from HE Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO Masdar, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Describing the WFES as an open global platform, HE Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber underlined that energy solutions cannot be driven by individual countries and must rely on collaboration, and encouraged fostering competition between different energy industries. Ban Ki-moon called for a clean energy revolution and encouraged public and private spending for intellectual capital, suggesting that investment in green economies can provide an opportunity for growth and prosperity in developed and developing countries.

Heads of State and other dignitaries from Iceland, Pakistan, Portugal, Bangladesh, Georgia, Sweden and Luxembourg spoke in plenary, followed by five special addresses and, among others: highlighted the importance of the WFES; called for global cooperation on sustainable energy, innovation and conservation; welcomed the commitment to a green future and a growing global consensus that energy security is deeply linked to diversifying energy sources; underscored the importance of political will in addressing climate change and other environmental issues; and supported the sustainable approach to the management of global resources.

In the afternoon, three ministerial panels addressed the principal energy challenges facing national governments, possible solutions to these challenges, and areas for international cooperation. The WFES programme also includes roundtable discussions, an exhibition hall and numerous other side events and activities. On Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed a young future energy leaders forum, an initiative of the Masdar Institute; and the Project Village, a section of the conference center dedicated to linking project developers with potential investors and technology providers, showcased a number of renewable energy projects and initiatives.

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Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General
José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa, Prime Minister, Portugal
HRH Crown Princess Victoria, Princess of Sweden (right)
Adnan Amin, Interim Director-General, IRENA
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland
Masdar exhibition
HRH Prince Guillaume, Crown Prince of Luxembourg
Susan Hockfield, President, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, speaking with students
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, addresses Young Future Energy Leaders
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Opening ceremony group photo
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Roundtable discussions were held throughout the session

Highlights for Tuesday, 18 January 2011
On Tuesday, the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2011 was organized around the theme of “Business Forum.” Participants heard a keynote address by Truman Semans, Principal, GreenOrder, and former Executive Committee Member, US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), US, who said we are entering an age of “radical transparency,” characterized by: “private regulation,” in which supply chains must reveal information regarding production practices; increasing transparency of government actions. In the morning, participants also heard a panel discussion on renewable energy featuring high-level executives, followed by parallel sessions on green cities, global energy policy and carbon capture and storage. In the afternoon, participants attended parallel sessions on wind power, business opportunities, green buildings, electric vehicles, and energy efficiency.

In addition to the plenary and parallel sessions, delegates participated in side events throughout the day, including a roundtable on hydrogen technology convened by UNIDO, an EU-GCC meeting of the Clean Energy Network, a presentation on solar photovoltaics at the US pavilion, and advice to young future energy leaders by MIT president Susan Hockfield.

In an evening reception at the Emirates Palace, H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, awarded the Zayed Future Energy Prize, which celebrates achievements that reflect innovation, long-term vision and leadership in renewable energy and sustainability, to Vestas. In the awarding ceremony, Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the Jury for the Prize and of the IPCC, called award recipients "torch beares for change." On behalf of Vestas, CEO Ditlev Engel, announced half of the award money would be donated to the other three Prize finalists.

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L-R: Amory Lovins, Chairman, Rocky Mountain Institute; Ditlev Engel, Global CEO, Vestas; H.H. General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; Christine Eibs Singer, CEO, E+Co; and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Director General, Zayed Future Energy Prize
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Truman Semans, Principal, GreenOrder, and former Executive Committee Member, US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), US
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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon leaving the conference center
Panel discussion during the Business Forum

Highlights for Wednesday, 19 January 2011
On Wednesday, World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2011 was organized around the theme of a “Technology Forum.” Participants heard a keynote address and panel discussion on technology leaders, followed by an innovators keynote address. Parallel sessions considered, inter alia: solar technology; hydrogen; energy storage; smart grids and super grids; carbon capture and storage (CCS); biofuels; future energy research; and education and nuclear power. Side events also took place in a variety of locations throughout WFES, including the Project Village, the Young Future Energy Leaders pavilion, roundtables and presentations in booths and pavilions.

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Highlighting the recent Cancún Climate Change Conference, Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, speaking to the Youth Future Energy Leaders, described outcomes, including finance and the establishment of a technology mechanism
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Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, and Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO, Masdar, UAE, meeting with Young Future Energy Leaders
Technology Leader’s Keynote Address: Sara Ortwein, ExxonMobil, US, emphasized the importance of political leadership at the top level in Abu Dhabi’s efforts to address environmental problems
Innovator Keynote Address: Mark Vachon, Ecomagination, GE, US, cautioned that waiting for government policy to drive innovation is a failed strategy, and said companies need to lead, particularly through demonstration projects
Technology Leaders in Future Energy – Insights from the Innovators
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L-R: Pascal Brosset, Schneider Electric, France; Francesco Sessa, Enel Distribuzione SpA, Italy; Bjørn Haugland, Det Norske Veritas, Norway; Balu Balagopal, Boston Consulting Group, US; Amr Salem, Cisco, UAE; Ernest Moniz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Hervé Touati, E.ON, Germany; and Peter Vanacker, Bayer MaterialScience, Germany
Parallel Session on Smart Grids and Super Grids – The Key to Renewable Integration?
In this parallel event, participants addressed issues such as the drivers for smart grids; smart grid deployment in the Middle East; demand response; distributed generation/microgrids; electric car infrastructure; the need for smart “supergrids;” and the role of EU policies to drive utilities to switch to smart grids.
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L-R: Rudi Strubbe, Alcaterl-Lucent, Belgium; Chair Philipp Gerbert, Boston Consulting Group, Germany; Scott Hennebery, Schneider Electric; Richard Hausmann, Siemens, Germany; Frank Ackland, GE, UAE; and Jorge Cruz Morais, Energías de Portugal
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Highlights for Thursday, 20 January 2011
The fourth and final day of World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2011 was organized around the theme “Finance Forum.” Fatih Birol, International Energy Agency, offered a keynote address in which he reviewed trends in and around renewable energy development. During a subsequent panel on “Finance Leaders from Renewable Energy – Insights from the Investors,” Nicholas Stern, London School of Economics, UK, said a new industrial revolution led by public policy is required. Morgan Bazilian, UNIDO, Kenneth Bateman, National Energy Board of Canada, Rob Bradley, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE, Frank Beckers, Deutsche Bank, UAE, and Alex O’Cinneide, Masdar Capital, UAE, also discussed the challenges and opportunities for renewable energy financing. Parallel panels focused on innovative financing, challenges for venture capitalists, and patents and research and development, and side events, roundtables and other interactive fora hosted additional conversations on the WFES 2011 theme.

During the WFES 2011 closing ceremony, Virginia Sonntag-O’Brien, Executive Secretary REN21, invited speakers from the business, technology and finance themes to reflect on the Summit and to offer suggestions for WFES 2012. Speakers highlighted the need to integrate the policy, technology, finance and business themes considered during WFES 2011, as well as the diverse country conditions and best practices from other sectors, during WFES 2012. WFES 2011 closed at 3:54pm.

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Closing Addresses - The Outlook for Future Energy
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A view of the room during the final session
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland, visits IRENA
Finance Leader’s Keynote Address
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Fatih Birol, International Energy Agency (IEA), France
Finance Leaders in Renewable Energy - Insights from the Investors
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L-R: Kenneth Bateman, National Energy Board of Canada; Nicholas Stern, London School of Economics, UK; Morgan Bazilian, UNIDO; Chair Michael Liebreich, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, UK; Rob Bradley, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE; Frank Beckers, Deutsche Bank, UAE; Alex O’Cinneide, Director, Masdar Capital, UAE; and Fatih Birol, IEA, France
Students tour a model of Masdar City
L-R: Nicholas Stern, London School of Economics, UK, and Fatih Birol, IEA, France
Side Event on Institutional Features and Requirements of a Climate Finance Regime
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L-R: Rob Bradley, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE; Richard Stewart, New York University, UAE; and Jacob Werksman, World Resources Institute, US
Vestas exhibition booth
L-R: Omar Shehadeh, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE, and Adnan Amin, Interim Director-General, IRENA
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IISD stand within the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) pavilion
Masdar City
The entrance to Masdar City
Masdar Institute
Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) at Masdar City is in its pilot phase
PRT
Wind tower at Masdar Institute
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Your IISD team at WFES 2011. L-R: Diego Noguera, Colombia; Asheline Appleton, Kenya; Simon Wolf, Germany; Lynn Wagner, Ph.D., US; Liz Willetts, US; Leila Mead, US; Kate Neville, Canada; Keith Ripley, US; and Miquel Muñoz, Ph.D., Spain

Daily web coverage (click on the following links to see our daily web pages)
Related Links
Summit resources
*Summit website
*Summit programme
*WFES 2010 Summit and Exhibition

IISD RS resources
*IISD RS coverage of the Delhi International Renewable Energy Conference, 27-29 October 2010, New Delhi, India
*IISD RS summary report of the First High-Level Meeting of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership, 14-15 September 2010, Vienna, Austria (HTML - PDF)

*IISD RS summary report of the Global Renewable Energy Forum - “Scaling up Renewable Energy,” 7-9 October 2009, León, Mexico (English: HTML - PDF) (Spanish: HTML - PDF)
*IISD RS summary report of the Vienna Energy Conference 2009, 22-24 June 2009, Vienna, Austria (HTML - PDF)
*IISD RS coverage of the Global Renewable Energy Forum, 18-21 May 2008, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
*IISD RS coverage of the International Conference on Renewable Energy in Africa, 16-18 April 2008, Dakar, Senegal
*IISD RS coverage of the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008), 4-6 March 2008, Washington, DC, United States of America
*IISD RS coverage of the International Conference for Renewable Energies (renewables 2004), 1-4 June 2004, Bonn, Germany
*IISD RS archive of meetings on climate change, and backgrounder
*Energy-L - A mailing list for news on energy policy
*Climate-L - A mailing list for news on climate change policy

*Sustainable Development Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of International Activities Preparing for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development
*SIDS Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
*Biodiversity Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of UN and Intergovernmental Activities Addressing International Biodiversity Policy
*Climate Change Policy & Practice - A Knowledgebase of UN and Intergovernmental Activities Addressing Global Climate Change Policy
*Linkages Update - Bi-weekly international environment and sustainable development news
*MEA Bulletin - Newsletter on key MEAs and their secretariats
*African Regional Coverage
*Latin America and Caribbean Regional Coverage
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