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The Week in Germany: Business and Technology April 27, 2007 Berlin Conference Discusses Ways to Save Energy
Germany plans incentives to improve energy efficiency in cars and buildings as a contribution towards efforts to combat climate change, an international conference was told last Friday (April 20). Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee outlined plans for an "energy passport for buildings" which would set guidelines for energy conservation from 2008. He said making use of innovative technology could make new buildings and older structures modernized to the latest standard up to 30 percent more energy efficient. Ministers from the European Union, Group of Eight (G8) leading industrial nations and emerging economies took part in the two-day gathering in the German capital. Strategies and objectives to improve energy efficiency as well as essential issues for the security of energy supplies and the development of the global economy were on the agenda. Tiefensee said Germany was also planning to introduce new carbon tags for cars that would show how climate-friendly they are, and change the way road tax is calculated in order to take into account a vehicle's emissions. The European Union agreed on proposals earlier this year that would require
carmakers to cut carbon dioxide emissions for new cars to 120 grams per
kilometer from 2012. EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs told delegates
that the European Commission would work out details in June of how the
new measures would be put into practice. Europe to Join Forces With Neighbors for Cleaner Energy
At a previous meeting hosted by German Development Minister Heidemarie
Wieczorek-Zeul on April 19, participants called on the EU to join forces
with its neighbors to promote renewable energies and energy efficiency
in a bid to combat climate change "Energy is essential for development, and sustainable development requires a supply of energy that keeps our vital natural resources intact. It is important that individual countries make their own efforts but that alone will not be enough to keep climate change in check," she said. Energy and environment ministers from the 27-member EU and its neighbors took part in the day-long event, including ministers from Egypt, Azerbaijan, Jordan and Syria. "The EU and its neighbors must together foster renewable energies and energy efficiency - and insist on them," Wieczorek-Zeul said. German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel told the gathering that a massive increase in the use of renewable energies and in energy efficiency "will make a vital contribution to Europe's energy security, to climate protection and to peace-building." Gabriel pointed to the climate and energy action plan adopted at last month's EU summit in Brussels, which set a binding target of a 20 percent share of renewables and a 20 percent increase in energy efficiency. "Our task is now to join together with our European neighbors to
actually move towards those targets," Gabriel said. Links: |
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