Future Energy Forum has opened in Astana

July 03, 2017

Future Energy Forum – the main event within the framework of the International Exposition Astana EXPO- 2017 dedicated to issues of renewable technological solutions, economic and political aspects of environmental protection, energy solutions to climate change, as well as to the international cooperation in the mentioned areas, has opened on 29 June 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Forum is comprised of a cycle of 12 conferences, that will take place between 29 June and 5 September 2017.

During the first conference “Energy Revolution”, that took place on 29-30 June 2017, possible ways of transition to a sustainable energy future, notably through analysis of the existing energy model, design of innovative solutions in the field of “green” energy, as well as their application in practice, were discussed.

During one of the sections of the Conference, the Director of UNIDO Centre in the Russian Federation Mr. Sergey Korotkov and UNIDO international expert Mr. Rana Singh reported on the Organization’s activities in the field of sustainable energy.

Mr. Korotkov gave a detailed presentation of the UNIDO Centre’s experience of implementing the project on the development of market mechanisms with a view to improve energy efficiency of Russian industries. In Russia, energy management systems based on UNIDO’s methodology are already implemented in 40 medium and large enterprises and are currently being implemented in 25 more. As a result of a complex approach to energy efficiency, the use of energy analysis, organisational work and low-cost measures, the enterprises participating in the project achieved a significant reduction of their energy consumption and several non-energy benefits, among which the improvement of organizational culture, the increased motivation among staff and the reduction of the negative environmental impact.

At the closing of the Forum, the Astana EXPO-2017 Manifesto of Values and Principles will be adopted, consolidating recommendations based on innovative solutions and measures proposed by the Forum’s participants. It is expected that the Manifesto will provide a basis for the future transition to a new energy model at the global level.

Earlier on 11 – 14 June 2017, the Eighth International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development was held within the EXPO-2017, in which the UNIDO Director General Mr. LI Yong took part. Mr. LI Yong chaired the first session of the Ministerial Conference “Meeting the Challenge of Sustainable Energy”, which opened the Forum. The distinguished guests of the session, among which Kanat Bozumbayev, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Alexander Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, Khalid A. Al-Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, Berat Albayrak, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Turkey, and Rachel Kyte, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), shared their vision for the energy of the future, its opportunities and challenges.