Program for the WEC – ABAC Joint Symposium on Energy Efficiency

1. Background:

Since 1992 the World Energy Council (WEC) and ADEME (Agency for Environment and Energy Efficiency, France) have been collaborating on a joint project “Energy Efficiency Policies and Indicators” with technical assistance by ENERDATA (France). The latest report, published in late 2007, evaluates energy efficiency policies in nearly 70 countries, with a specific focus on five policy measures: mandatory energy audits, ESCO(Energy Service Companies)’s energy incentives for cars, energy efficiency obligations for utilities, and “packages of measures” for solar water heaters. More recently, the WEC has been deeply involved in the world-wide discussion on energy with full support of its global network.

Created by APEC Leaders in November 1995, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC),

comprising of up to three members of the private sector from each economy, provides advice on business priorities, respond when the various APEC for a request information about business-related issues, and provides annual policy recommendations to the APEC leaders. Given that APEC is composed of major economies in terms of energy consumption, and energy efficiency has risen to the top of the policy agenda in many countries for a number of reasons, including high primary energy prices, concerns about supply security and the environment, ABAC is well positioned to provide the private sector’s position to the APEC governments on energy and climate related policies.

Collectively, WEC and ABAC shared the view that their cooperation is required more than

ever for efficiently tackling energy security and climate change which were chosen as a

priority topic for discussion at their respective forum. The two organizations have talked

about how to establish a channel of dialogue between them and as an initial step, the WEC and ABAC (Sustainable Development Working Group) have agreed to hold a joint

symposium on the energy efficiency. To that end, ABAC Vietnam expressed its willingness to assist by hosting the Symposium 24 August on the margins of the third ABAC meeting in Danang, Vietnam.

2. Symposium Plan

• Theme: Best Practices of Energy Efficiency

• Date: on 24 August, 2009 

• Venue: Furma Resort Hotel, Danang, Vietnam

3. Schedule: