10th World Wind Energy Conference 2011
Greening Energy: Converting Deserts into Powerhouses
Cairo, Egypt, 31 October – 2 November 2011
The World Wind Energy Association, the Egyptian Wind Energy Association and the German-Arabic Chamber of Commerce welcome the presence of those more than 500 participants attending this conference, from wind and all other renewable energy technologies. The conference took place at a time which has brought fundamental political and social change in the host country and in the whole region, also opening the doors for an urgently needed and fundamental transformation of the energy supply.
The conference covered all aspects of wind utilisation, related policies, manufacturing, development, operation as well as economic and social issues, with a special focus on how to convert with renewable energy deserts into powerhouses.
Especially against the background of the ongoing nuclear disaster in Japan, the Conference calls for an immediate switch away from high-risk nuclear and fossil energy technologies to renewable energies.
On celebrating the tenth anniversary of the World Wind Energy Association, the Conference applauds WWEA for ten successful years of leadership work for a renewable future.
The conference appreciates the support of the governments and governmental organisations, especially of the Egyptian Government, the German Ministry for the Environment, the League of Arab States, the European Union, GIZ as well as UNESCO, IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Alliance, REN21 and all organisations and individuals enhancing the Conference.
The conference applauds the scientifically substantiated statements made that a 100 % renewable energy supply can be reached worldwide by the year 2030, implemented through comprehensive strategies and policies.
The Conference underlines the huge potentials of wind and other renewables for economic growth, sustainable development, energy security and for job creation. It was pointed out that in Egypt alone, 75’000 jobs can be created by 2020 in the local wind industry. The Conference welcomes the announcement by the International Labour Organisation to publish in the near future a report on occupational skills and job requirements in the renewable energy sector worldwide, as prepared in cooperation with the REN Alliance.
The Conference appreciates that the Sewedy Wind Energy Group under the leadership of Mr Ahmed El Sewedy have been awarded with the World Wind Energy Award 2011 for the company’s leading role in introducing wind power on a large scale in Egypt, the MENA region and in Africa and for establishing the first major wind turbine manufacturer in the region.
The Conference endorses the proposal of a Global Feed-in Tariff programme as a crucial step, and expresses its hope that such a programme could be established in the frame of the Green Climate Fund during the COP17 in Durban.
The Conference urges the Egyptian Government to introduce effective feed-in legislation and to develop a comprehensive long-term strategy for local content and for support of local manufacturing.
The Conference welcomes that the concept of Community Power receives more and more common support worldwide, and encourages communities around the world to become renewable energy champions by harvesting the renewable energies in their environment, a concept which should be promoted strongly also in the MENA region. Governments are called upon to support these communities.
In addition the Conference supports the following objectives, policies and actions to:
1. remove gradually all subsidies and introduce the internalisation of all externalities to achieve a level playing field;
2. pursue compensatory regulatory frameworks such as sufficient and effective fed-in tariffs that encourage renewable energy developments until this is achieved, and that provide sufficient financial security to promote long-term investment, especially for smaller investors;
3. improve integration of wind power into existing power systems, create smart grids and enhance synergies between the various renewable energy solutions in order to achieve an integrated 100 % renewable energy supply in the foreseeable future;
4. work closely with IRENA on the implementation of its work programme and contribute to its further refinement;
5. raise the political and social awareness on all levels of society for the inevitable use of renewable energy;
6. create new and strengthen existing human, industrial, administrative and financial capacities and institutions for renewable energy;
7. reduce overall costs for energy supply by an increasing share of renewable energy power;
8. develop and expand national, regional and international financing mechanisms for renewable energy, especially making use of funds provided as part of the international climate change negotiations, and ensure that the Global Green Climate Fund gives priority to renewable energy;
9. support developing countries in obtaining easier access to technology and in creating domestic renewable industries;
10. encourage all wind energy stakeholders to participate in the next World Wind Energy Conference which will be held in Bonn, Germany, 3rd to 5th July 2012.
Cairo, 2 November 2011
The WWEC2011 Chairpersons
| Dr. Anil Kane | Prof. Dr. Galal Osman |