"Promoting Renewable Energies
to Support Sustainable Development"
In the UNECE region, renewable energy sources have considerable
potential and could make an increasingly substantive contribution
to supply diversification, emission reductions, security of supplies
and sustainability of the energy sector, over a long-term period.
Renewable energy sources today provide 15% of electricity in the
region. Certainly, the potential for renewable energies in the UNECE
region is large, but to what extent and how quickly renewable energies
will increase their market share is not clear.
While wind, small hydro, solar and biomass energies can be successfully
deployed in specific areas, under favourable conditions, their widespread
use will continue to be constrained by economic, and to some extent,
environmental factors. Under present market conditions, renewables
are, on the whole, not competitive and their widespread use cannot
be accelerated without the provision of direct or indirect subsidies.
Furthermore, they need further technological improvements in order
to reduce their cost. The existing trade and investment barriers
should also be removed. This all requires substantive work on establishing
effective policies, regulations and market instruments.
In this context, the following questions will be discussed at
the Roundtable:
- Whether and how strongly current policies support the promotion
of renewable energies?
- Are the EU-accession countries ready to adapt their legislation
to the provisions of the EU Renewables Directive?
- Does an enabling environment exist in ECE transition economies
to promote renewable energies?
- Do countries need common/harmonized policies on renewables,
and if so, under what conditions?
- What work and activities should UNECE undertake in the field
of renewable energies?
For further information, please contact:
Mr. Slav Slavov
Special Adviser to the Director
Tel.: + 41 22 917 24 44
Fax: + 41 22 917 07 13
E-mail:
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UNECE
ROUNDTABLE