Resolution on Energy Security
16th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA – PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM
21 – 24 January 2008, Auckland, New Zealand
Resolution on Energy Security
APPF16/RES/05
(Sponsored by Chile, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, and Russia)
THE SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC PARLIAMENTARY FORUM
Noting the vital need for accessible and reliable energy sources, which play a key role in securing economic growth and the region's stable development;
Recognising that oil supply disruptions can affect all economies of nations represented in the APPF;
Recognising the growing dependence of the Asia-Pacific economies on an external supply of energy, linked to the explosive economic growth present in the region, and the global nature of energy security and its link to climate change, as one of the most critical issues of the contemporary world;
Convinced that we must identify strategies and implement necessary measures to ensure the energy security of the Asia- Pacific member economies;
Bearing in mind enormous future energy demands and growth in energy product consumption, it is of great importance not only to increase energy supplies, but also to secure environmental stability and social development;
Underlining that energy security may only be ensured if we are constantly developing new sources of energy;
Noting that to strengthen energy security, cooperation is needed between producing countries, transit countries and consuming countries. Policies need to be developed strictly fulfilling the assumed responsibilities and agreements of all concerned parties;
Assuming that fossil fuels will continue to hold the primary position in meeting the energy requirements of our region and the world as a whole;
Taking into account that oil is a non-renewable resource that will eventually run out and recognising that at some date global oil production will begin to decline as it becomes progressively more costly to recover more from known reserves;
Understanding that energy security also includes the promotion of sustainable energy, efficient use of energy resources, and welcoming initiatives to promote the efficient use of energy, especially in the construction and transportation areas;
Reiterating the need to pursue new energy resources and technology development, the expansion of renewable energy systems, the enhancement of the recycling of oil revenues, through regional or bilateral cooperation on research, sharing best practices and financing;
Convinced that innovation is required for the development of a wide variety of energy resources, such as bio-fuel, hydro power, solar power, wind power, biomass, geothermal power, tidal power, and to encourage the recycling, re-use of resources, residual management, and material recovery;
Stating that environmental protection and promotion of social development require the adoption of environmentally sound technologies for obtaining "clean" and efficient energy;
Recognising that energy security also involves caring about the impact of natural disasters on energy facilities and their risk to population and the environment;
Noting that it is parliaments' duty to represent their citizens and their perspective in the energy security discussion;
Persuaded that governmental action is crucial to ensuring the efficient use of multiple energy resources, and understanding the universal character of this issue, and the growing mutual interdependence among countries in the energy area, it is vital to develop common strategies to face this energy challenge;
Noting that in order to alleviate poverty, the provision of affordable energy for the population must become an integral part of energy security;
Recognising the dependence of many nations on oil as an energy source, and the difficulties some nations, and particularly developing nations, could face competing for scarce oil resources required to operate their basic infrastructure to enable human survival;
Noting the international agreements developed through the International Energy Agency requiring national response plans for interruptions in oil supply, including the commitment of IEA member countries to take common effective measures to meet oil supply emergencies by developing an emergency self-sufficiency in oil supplies, restraining demand and allocating available oil among their countries on an equitable basis;
Realising the limited supplies of most common forms of primary energy, such as oil and gas, and the uneven distribution of energy supplies among countries;
Recognising that political instability of some energy producing countries, the manipulation of energy supplies, competition over energy sources, attacks on supply infrastructure, as well as accidents and natural disasters all constitute threats to global energy security;
Underlining that energy from fossil fuel, if not rationally generated, is considered as one of the producers of greenhouse gas emissions which harms the environment and contributes to air pollution, global warming and natural disasters;Reaffirming the commitment made by APPF members on Energy Security adopted at the 15th Annual Meeting of the APPF in which the APPF paid serious attention to Energy Security;
RESOLVES TO:
- Ensure that fair access to essential energy resources for all the countries of the region is a priority;
- Emphasise the need for regional cooperation in this area, reinforcing the exchange of public policies; expertise, technologies, and capital, to take advantage of wide variety of alternative energy resources and to upgrade their traditional modes of production;
- Welcome the proposal for building an energy map of the entire Asia-Pacific area, in order to create complementary alliances among countries to assist in the drive to attain the goal of energy security with a regional approach;
- Call upon governments to take measures to rationalise energy use, particularly the use of fossil energy;
- Urge the APPF member countries to work towards an international protocol, developed out of existing agreements, that would help ensure that oil could be distributed internationally in a way to ensure that essential services could be provided if there is a diminution in or an interruption to oil supply;
- Note the crucial importance of adequate regulations and standards to preserve the safety conditions in the nuclear and fossil energy production facilities, in particular those located in natural disaster risk zones; and request expertise exchange on security and disaster management in this field;
- Build industries and institutes which are transparent, safe and efficient, and respectful of the environment and local communities;
- Promote public policies and awareness that encourages access to, and the use of, renewable energies by our citizens;
- Urge governments to incorporate climate change and energy security considerations in their respective housing social policies;
- Seek environmental sustainability through an ecological energy policy as recommended by the Bali Roadmap to reduce CO2 emissions;
- Note the fragile balance between the use of soils designated for food and those for energy purposes;
- Urge APPF member parliaments to encourage the development of low-cost energy which is essential not only to the functioning of modem economies; but also for the life of human beings, by developing new low-emission technologies to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions;
- Encourage APPF member parliaments to promote energy cooperation by focusing on the development of alternative fuels such as biomass, solar, wind, and geothermal energies, sharing information on energy research, exchange of best practices, transfer of technology, and joint energy development;
- Persuade APPF member parliaments to encourage their respective governments to develop renewable and alternative sources of energy in the Asia Pacific region through the development and usage of advanced technology, which will contribute to solving various challenges such as the adaptation to global warming, security of energy supplies, and to avoid excessive dependency on fossil fuel and nuclear power;
- Encourage APPF member parliaments to urge their respective governments to make efforts in creating and promoting ways and means to explore and implement the use of energy that leads to the improvement of energy efficiency and energy saving;
- Recommend the APPF member parliaments of countries that choose to use nuclear energy, to do everything possible to establish cooperation in developing peaceful use of nuclear energy, taking into account the improvement of safety by reducing risks of nuclear energy in compliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA);
- Note the use of nuclear energy by countries that choose to use it, through means that provide measures on ensuring nuclear security and nuclear nonproliferation, including the relevant guarantees, like nuclear waste;
- Recommend research on mid-depth to deep-well geothermal electricity with a view to producing plans for all participating APPF countries.
