Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations
"Non - nuclear Green Energy: Prospects for Sustaining Growth"
On May 12th 2011, PGA organized a side meeting to the 19th CSD at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations. The meeting topic was to discuss non-nuclear green energy options for countries when looking for alternatives to current products. The meeting was opened by H.E. Mr. Manjeev Singh Puri, Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN and PGA President, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw (Nigeria).
The meeting was facilitated by Mr. Chris Carter, MP (New Zealand) who opened the first session which included 3 expert presentations involving current situations, latest data available and innovative methods that are being applied in the field. The second session included short presentations from members of parliament regarding the current situation their countries and also prospects of integrating the suggested new approaches by our experts. Countries represented included, Dip. Margarita Stolbizer, Argentina, Dep. Alain Destexhe, Belgium, Dip. Minou Tavarez Mirabal , Dominican Republic, Hon. Ross Robertson, MP New Zealand, Mr. Fallou Mbacke, MP Senegal, Dr. Bernadette Lahai, MP Sierra Leone, Ms. Marie Norden, MP Sweden, Dr. Ruth Wijdenbosch, MP Suriname and Dip. Felipe Michelini, Uruguay. Expert Representatives included Dr. Ivan Vera, Senior Sustainable Development Officer, DESA, Mr. Stephen Gitonga, Bureau for Policy Development, UNDP and Ms. Jessica Lubetsky, Senior Associate, the Pew Charitable Trusts.
The meeting concluded with closing remarks made by PGA Secretary General Ms. Shazia Rafi who summarized the importance of providing energy to the least developed countries in order to help meet the Millennium Development Goals for the over 1.4 billion people currently without access to any energy sources except burning biomass. Speakers encouraged Parliamentarians present to raise in their home countries the need to do research on energy needs, seek to develop public /private partnerships to lower the costs of poorer countries attracting investment in renewable energy technologies and work toward educating the public about the advantages of renewable energy and the positive impact such processes could have on global carbon emissions.