Clean energy forum ends today

The 3rd International Forum for Clean Energy (IFCE) began yesterday in Macau with the launch of the 2014 Blue Book of Clean Energy.
The two-day event includes a series of debates on the critical issues facing the ongoing clean energy revolution, and features energy administrators, scholars, entrepreneurs and investment specialists from China and overseas.
“Clean energy stands at the center of global efforts to move towards greener economies and sustainable development, including property eradication,” stated the United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr Wu Hongbo, in his keynote speech.
“From enhancing energy security to fighting climate change and including sustainable development, the clean energy revolution is starting to define a new era. Clean energy is increasingly competitive. It has a key role to play in building efficient low-carbon economies,” he stressed.
The UN official further emphasized that shifting to clean energy and ensuring universal access to modern energy services could help with the global issue of climate change as well as alleviating vulnerabilities in energy sectors.
However, he also acknowledged that economic, policy and technological factors are still an obstacle to the large-scale deployment of clean energy systems. “Although the role of clean energy is increasing in both developing and developed countries, the overall contribution of clean energy to global energy systems remains limited,” he said.
The forum is expected to promote debate on topics like sustainable development and the development of the clean energy industry. It is hosted by the IFCE, a Macau-based nonprofit organization headed by Ambrose So that aims to be a global multi-stakeholder network in clean energy. The Forum assembled over 300 guests this year.
“Since its establishment in 2012, the IFCE has held two consecutive forums and launched three Blue Books. The results are fruitful and have far-
reaching implications on the development of clean energy worldwide,” Mr So remarked.  BY