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Exhibition on case studies on energy transition in UNECE countries

Four UNECE member States are showcasing their actions on producing, trading, transforming and consuming energy in an exhibition on display until 24 January 2017 in the Palais des Nations, E-Building. The exhibition features selected examples of ongoing energy transition in Azerbaijan, Germany, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.


“The UNECE region has the opportunity to take a leadership role in energy transition and to show to the world how much value there is in a sustainable approach to energy”, said Scott Foster, Director of UNECE’s Sustainable Energy Division. “The impact of a comprehensive, forward looking national energy strategy reaches well beyond the energy sector, as this exhibition well reveals. It is only through the replication of successful national case studies and through sharing lessons learnt that we can deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”


Germany is featuring the “Energiewende” in a series of colorful posters supported by a walk-in structure. Detailed information is provided about technology and policy changes, impact and lessons learnt. In over fifty photos specifically printed for this exhibition, Azerbaijan describes its progress in the transition to renewable energy. The pictures show the impact on landscape and society as well as on technology and everyday life. Through an interactive experience, Ukraine aims at giving visitors a snapshot about life in in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster. From 10 June to 10 September 2017, Kazakhstan will be hosting EXPO2017 on “Future Energy”. The exhibition in the Palais showcases its preparations for the ambitious project, which represents at the same time a kick-start for the country to embrace a sustainable energy future.


“We are grateful to the countries that have chosen to exhibit this material in the Palais des Nations”, continued Mr. Foster. “The region’s impact on the global scale is often underestimated”, he said. “The region’s 56 countries used 39% of the world’s primary energy consumption in 2014 to produce 41% of world GDP. They produced 38% of the world’s primary energy resources, and emitted 36% of global CO2 emissions. The UNECE region as a whole uses significantly higher primary energy supply per capita than world levels, but within the region there is significant variance. We still have work to do and the exhibition is an excellent example about the multiple approaches that countries are taking.”


The UNECE region improved its energy intensity by 38% from 1990 to 2014. Action by national governments and regulators, international organizations and civil society, and private sector investors could accelerate the needed transformation. There is significant value in international cooperation, strategic partnerships and functioning energy markets across regional corridors in the interest of all. Achieving the objectives will be facilitated by closer dialogue and collaboration among governments, the private sector, financiers, and civil society and among the various sectors that will interact to deliver on the 2030 Agenda.


The exhibition is organized on the occasion of the resumed twenty-fifth Session of the Committee on Sustainable Energy, on 19 January 2017. The prime objective of the session is to explore how to deliver on the national commitments in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and to discuss potential solutions to be agreed at an energy ministerial at the outset of the Eighth International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 11 June 2017.  


Visitors to the exhibition are invited to a reception on 19 January 2017 at 13.00 in the Serpent Bar in the presence of high-ranking officials from the exhibiting countries.

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