Automotive Exports – May 2017

Monthly automotive aftermarket magazine
IEA joins meeting of G7
Energy Ministers in Rome
The International Energy Agency took part in the meeting of G7 energy
ministers held under the Italian Presidency in Rome on 9-10 April to review
developments in global energy markets over the past year and what can be
done collectively to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy
Dr. Fatih Birol
The IEA’s Executive Director,
Dr Fatih Birol, joined energy
ministers from the G7 nations –
Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, the United Kingdom, the
United States of America, as well
as the Energy Commissioner of
the European Union – to review
developments in global energy
markets over the past year and
what can be done collectively to
ensure reliable, affordable and
clean energy.
The topics discussed included
energy security, with a focus on
the role of LNG in improving
market flexibility, as well as energy
efficiency and technology as drivers
for competiveness. The ministers
acknowledged that G7 countries
should play a leading role in
facilitating investments in secure
and sustainable energy including
strengthening efforts in energy
research and development.
Dr Birol delivered a keynote
address at the opening dinner of
the meeting, covering a range of
topics including energy security
and trends in oil and gas markets,
renewable grid integration, and
energy efficiency. He stressed that
while a wave of new LNG supply,
led by Australia and the US, will
improve the ability of the system to
react to potential demand or supply
shocks, security of gas supply
cannot be taken for granted. He
also noted that better grids, more
flexible power plants and storage
and demand side response will
all be needed to integrate larger
shares of wind and solar into
power grids in a secure and costeffective
way.
Dr Birol also highlighted the links
between the energy sector and
emerging digital technologies and
services, which are presenting
important opportunities and
challenges for policy makers. He
shared the IEA’s recent findings
that global energy-related carbon
emissions were flat for a third
straight year in 2016 even as the
global economy grew.
G7 Ministers recognized the key
role of clean energy technologies,
emphasizing the importance of
market-based supports, as well
as the importance of research
and development of innovative
technologies. They acknowledged
the IEA’s role in providing solid,
authoritative, and solutionorientated
analysis for global
leaders and support informed
policy-decisions making.
The Chairs’ Summary welcomed
the move of the Clean Energy
Ministerial (CEM) Secretariat to
the IEA’s headquarters in Paris as
well as the progress report on the
Second Phase of IEA’s Technology
Roadmaps, focused on viable and
high impact technologies. They
also welcomed the progress of the
IEA’s work on international energy
efficiency collaboration and asked
the IEA to continue to take forward
this work, including on marketbased
instruments.
In addition, other staff members of
the IEA participated in an energy
access side-event on Africa where
Laura Cozzi, head of the IEA’s
Energy Demand Outlook Division,
gave a keynote presentation. The
event was chaired by Paolo Frankl,
head of the IEA’s Renewable
Energy Division.
G7 heads of delegation, from left: Mr
Miguel Arias Cañete, EU; Mr Rainer
Baake, Germany; Mr Rick Perry,
USA; Mr Jim Carr, Canada; Mr Carlo
Calenda, Italy; Ms Segolene Royal,
France; Mr Nick Hurd, UK; Mr Yosuke
Tagaki, Japan; Dr Fatih Birol, IEA
(Photograph: IEA)
40 MAY 2017