China hosts the world’s largest energy summit. DTU is heavily represented at the summit with several presentations on sustainable energy
The world’s largest energy summit takes place in Beijing on 6-8 June. Here, two high-level global forums meet to promote clean energy technologies and the transition to a global clean energy economy. Twenty-one countries as well as the European Commission have confirmed their participation in the great event, including the United States which will be represented by Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. Denmark is represented by Minister for Energy, Utilities and Climate Lars Christian Lilleholt. DTU is strongly represented at the meetings.
The two forums meeting in China are the Clean Energy Ministerial and Mission Innovation. The Clean Energy Ministerial has 24 member countries as well as the EU. Together, these countries account for 90 per cent of the total investments in sustainable energy in the world and 75 per cent of the global emissions of greenhouse gases.
Mission Innovation strengthens renewable energy technology research and development. Denmark participates in this initiative together with 21 other countries. The goal is to make it more attractive to invest in renewable energy and accelerate the global transition to sustainable energy.
DTU is participating in a Danish pavilion headed by State-of-Green along with Vestas, Dong Energy, Danfoss, and the Confederation of Danish Industry. In addition, a number of DTU researchers will make presentations at the large conferences and seminars at the summit, including Professor Jacob Østergaard from DTU Electrical Engineering who, among other things, will give a TED talk, as well as Professor Henrik Madsen from DTU Compute.
Global temperature increase making energy research urgent
The head of DTU’s delegation is Birte Holst Jørgensen, SDC Principal Coordinator Sustainable Energy and senior researcher at DTU Management Engineering:
“It’s important and urgent to ensure research, development, and demonstration of new sustainable energy technologies and energy systems if the world is to comply with the two-degree limit for global temperature increase agreed at COP22. And DTU has much to offer in this context,” says Birte Holst Jørgensen.
She emphasizes that DTU is in the international top league in terms of knowledge and research in sustainable energy. An international ranking places DTU as number two in the world, and as Europe’s leading university within the area according to Academic Ranking of World Universities 2016 from Shanghai Jiao University. Read more here.
DTU has specialists in research into sustainable energy sources and energy systems as well as the conversion and storage of energy. Add to this, expertise in political analyses and recommendations, impact assessments and capacity building within the field of sustainable energy.
In May next year, Copenhagen and Malmö will be hosting the large energy summit under the name Øresund Energy Week.
Mission Innovation
Denmark participates together with 20 other countries in the American initiative Mission Innovation, which is to strengthen clean energy research and development. The goal is to reduce the cost of the global transition to sustainable energy. Mission Innovation was launched on the opening day of COP21 on 30 November 2015. The participating countries have committed themselves to doubling their investments in clean energy research towards 2020.
Clean Energy Ministerial
The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) is a high-level global forum to promote policies and programmes that advance clean energy technology, to share lessons learned and best practices, and to encourage the transition to a global clean energy economy. The first meeting was held in Washington D.C. on 19-20 July 2010 with participation of 23 countries. The participating countries cover 80 per cent of the world’s energy consumption and 75 per cent of the global emissions of greenhouse gases.
Clean Energy Ministerial Mission Innovation
The Clean Energy Ministerial was founded at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009 and consists of the majority of the G20 countries as well as the EU and a number of green leadership nations, including Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. The CEM countries together account for 90 per cent of the global green energy investments, which last year amounted to more than DKK 3,500 billion worldwide.