Carbon emissions' risk and impact that is facing the world will be at the centre of the discussions that will be taking place during the World Future Energy Summit third edition on Jan. 18-21, 2010 in Abu Dhabi. Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and a keynote speaker at the upcoming World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, has made a public call for governments across the world to stimulate research and development in innovation and technology - critical components for the dissemination of low-carbon energy technologies. The statement comes as heads of government from across the world are expected to declare their willingness to adopt ambitious emissions targets in the run up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Based on that assessment Pachauri said “we need to invest now in the research & development of new technologies to guarantee that long-terms goals can be met.” Pachauri said the first step to achieving sustainable energy consumption must be taken by governments. This should be achieved by managing demand, leading to reduced public energy consumption by stimulating lifestyle changes and attaining higher levels of energy efficiency. Market failures along the innovation chain require public spending to drive down the cost of technologies to a point where the carbon price can take over and accelerate their deployment. Estimates from the European Commission suggest that global public support for energy R&D should at least double by 2012 and quadruple by 2020. Pachauri pointed out that “there is significant scope, at the individual and community levels, to avoid wasting energy through changes in behavior and improving energy efficiency by implementing appropriate technological solutions. This must of course all be done alongside a shift towards use of renewable sources of energy.” Between now and 2020, decisive actions are required to scale-up the deployment of a range of technologies, with renewable energy a major focus. However, many technologies have been made available but are not yet commercially proven.
