Raising public awareness on the "Green Paper on Security of Energy Supply" - IDAE, Spain

Summary
Recent oil price increases in international markets have re-sparked debate over the security of the European Union's energy supply. This, together with other challenges such as climatic change and the construction of an internal energy market, are issues of great concern for society in general.

The appearance of the "Green Paper: Towards a European Strategy for the Security of Energy Supply" (COM (2000), 769) was a response to these concerns. The report has stimulated great interest among socio-economic agents from the different member states of the European Union, including Spain.

One of the main goals of the Green Paper was to spark a general debate within the European Commission, as well as the Member States, as to the energy options open to Europe. Important decisions will soon have to be made concerning energy investments, as well as how to comply with different international agreements designed to fight against climactic change, such as the Kyoto Protocol.

IDAE is a member of the OPET network and it was in this context that this Conference-Debate was organized, on 23 April 2001, at the conference hall of the Madrid Civil Engineers Association, within the Energy Programme, the European Union's V Framework Programme for Research and Development.

End-user area	Industry Legal initiatives (municipal regulations, directives, etc) New buildings Planning issues Refurbishment of buildings Sustainable communities Transport and mobility User behaviour
Target audience	Architects and engineers Citizens Decision makers ESCOs Local and regional authorities Schools and universities Utilities
Technical scope	Appliances Biomass CHP Clean fossil fuel Cooling District Heating Energy efficiency Geothermal Heating Hydro power Lighting Solar energy Wind Other

Context
The Conference took place on 23 April, at the conference hall of the Madrid Civil Engineers Association.

Sessions were held in the morning and in the afternoon. The free registration included a copy of the "Green Paper on Energy Supply", which was provided by the European Commission.

A lunch was offered for speakers and moderators at the Tryp Escultor Hotel, near the Conference location.

Objectives
In line with the above-stated considerations, this Conference-Debate set out to explain the contents and relevance of the Green Paper, whilst also contributing to the critical discussion and analysis of the document recommended by the Commission. It also sought to create a meeting point for the different social and economic agents involved, in order to foster the contribution of new ideas.

Process

• Preparation of the agenda;
• Contact with speakers;
• Preparation and distribution of the brochure of the agenda (5,000 copies);
• Letters and invitations to attendants;
• Distribution of around 400 copies of the "Green Book";
• Analysis of the Green Book;
• Event logistics;
• Preparation of the support material to be disseminated during the seminar;
• Analysis of the outcomes of the seminar;
• Preparation of the conclusions.

Actions
- Seminar

Financial resources and partners

Results
313 persons attended the conference. Their distribution according to sector is shown in the following graph:

Attendants profile (in %)


The free registration included a copy of the "Green Paper on Energy Supply", provided by the European Commission, as well as catalogues of IDAE publications along with IDAE's Annual Activities Report.

Main conclusions (Annex 1) that arose from the different debate-sessions throughout the conference were widely disseminated after the conference.

The following sections present the main conclusions that arose from the different debate-sessions throughout the conference:

1. The Green Paper represents a large-scale effort at comprehensive reflection on Europe's energy situation - something that has not been done in at least 25 years. The Paper set out to openly address the most important questions. Its main objective was to analyse all the options, while keeping in mind the structural weaknesses that Europe faces - weaknesses that will surely not be resolved in the near future. The Green Paper is firmly committed to an assured energy supply, but is also bound by environmental, economic and social objectives at a time when certain countries are moving further and further away from the commitments made at Kyoto. The Green Paper realises that there is an important interdependence between the energy policies adopted by any one EU country and other countries in the same part of the world. As such, these policies should be discussed together. The goals of the Green Paper cannot be met without making difficult decisions that will surely imply a cost for everyone.
   
2. The Green Paper has appeared at important moment for Spain; the country finds itself in the early stages of energy market liberalisation and has recently released its Plan for Promoting Renewable Energy. Given that Spain has a higher level of dependence on imported energy sources than the European average, this open debate is especially relevant. We in Spain have made some important advances, such as improved energy efficiency in the industrial sector and the spectacular growth in the use of wind energy, but there are still goals to be met. The government's research and development plans as well as its Plan for Promoting Renewable Energy will contribute greatly towards consolidating these achievements, as well as helping to meet further objectives.
   
3. Another basic conclusion, derived both from the Green Paper and from current perceptions in Spain, is that there is no "perfect" energy source and, as such, it is absolutely necessary to combine and make use of all of them. Securing supply is clearly dependent on strengthening energy savings (measures for managing demand) and on energy diversification (measures for managing supply). On the demand side, public awareness among citizens in general as well as throughout the various socio-economic sectors is essential, particularly in the tertiary and domestic sectors - areas, which are key to successfully meeting the challenges we face.
   
4. Legislators are well aware of the environmental and energy efficiency goals that appear in the Green Paper. Currently, there are taxes levied on products and/or activities that are particularly polluting. In addition, tax breaks are offered for the use of renewable energy sources. These measures are somewhat uneven in their efficiency, given that they were formulated more according to tax collection than environmental criteria. The choice of an appropriate instrument depends on diverse factors and must be adjusted to the socio-economic reality of each Member State. Finally, more attention should be paid to other measures besides tax incentives or disincentives, such as voluntary agreements, laws, education and public awareness programmes, emission rights exchanges, etc.
   
5. Renewable energy sources will play an important role in guaranteeing the European energy supply, as well as in minimising the negative environmental impact caused by other energy sources. In Spain, the goals of the European Union are expressed in its Plan for Promoting Renewable Energy - a plan that will function as a future frame of reference for the sector until the year 2010 and beyond, due to the long amortization period for the foreseen investments. Although the positive effects of renewable energy sources on the environment and employment are widely recognised, controversy remains when deciding on the particular refunds, exemptions or discounts that should be accorded them. There is a wide range of mechanisms to choose from: a tax on the producers of conventional fossil fuels, intermediate taxes or final taxes on the consumer, or the possible reduction of one kind of tax together with an increase in others to finance this type of investment. The final choice is difficult and will probably require further deliberation. However, it remains clear that all sectors of society will be involved. Biofuels, meanwhile, are expected to see a large increase in use in coming years. A special system, similar to that currently in use with renewable energy sources in electricity production, is worth considering with these fuels.
   
6. The European Union reaffirms the agreements it signed in Kyoto, as a means to slow down global climactic change. We understand that this implies a formidable challenge, one that will demand a large effort on the part of all economic sectors. A series of key questions will have to be addressed, such as whether or not it will be necessary to complement existing market instruments with legal measures or tax breaks. There are, however, many more means to help slow down climactic change, including such important elements as public awareness campaigns. Finally, it is interesting to note that many of the proposed solutions for fighting climactic change are the same as those that should be applied towards attaining a secure energy supply.
   
7. The transportation sector will be decisive in the implementation of energy efficiency policy and a decreased dependence on oil. The sector accounts for 32% of the European Union's energy consumption, and 42% of that in Spain. This sector's energy intensity has not decreased in recent years, while it continues to be almost 100% dependent on oil. Energy efficiency measures must be adopted by different sectors, including the automobile sector, with use of biofuels and a more rational transportation. The automobile industry has made great strides in reducing fuel consumption in its latest models. Efficiency in that sector should be viewed as a complimentary measure to yet more efficient actions, such as promoting public transport and rail use.

Lessons learned and replication potential
High participation from all the actors was reached and, as a consequence, important feedback from Spanish agents, via the filling in and sending of the questionnaire included in the Green Paper, was made to the Commission.

The long experience of IDAE in organizing this type of events guaranteed the success of this action.

These actions are easy to replicate in future EU energy policy papers or any other important energy issue.

The audience received a questionnaire to formulate results, the analysis of the answer to the questionnaire delivered will provide elements to improve acceptance of future actions.