7th World Wind Energy Conference 2008

CONFERENCE RESOLUTION AND COMMUNIQUÉ

The World Wind Energy Association (WWEA), in association with the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) and the St. Lawrence College, acknowledges and welcomes the presence of those 800 participants attending this Conference from wind and associated renewable energy technologies and especially from many community power organisations. The interests include all aspects of sustainable wind, solar, hydro, bioenergy and geothermal technology development, design, manufacturing, operation and implementation.

The Conference recognises the support of the governments, especially of the province of Ontario, Germany and Cuba, as well as UNESCO and all organisations supporting the Conference, and applauds their continued support and vision for the accelerated deployment of renewable energy, in particular wind energy, to tackle climate change, increase energy security and create new jobs. The Conference calls on governments and the private sector to recognise communities as key enablers and partners in the development of renewable energy and to give them the necessary support to achieve a smooth transition towards a renewable energy future.

The Conference welcomes the proposal of a Green Energy Act in Ontario, of a national feed-in bill as presented today in the USA by Congressman Jay Inslee and of a feed-in bill in Michigan as well as the preparation of similar legislation in further states, provinces and countries which are based on the internationally proven successful feed-in principles.

In addition to this, and in the pursuit of renewable energy resources, the Conference resolves to pursue the following objectives, policies and actions:

1. remove all subsidies and enforce the internalisation of all externalities to achieve a level playing field;

2. until this is achieved, pursue compensatory regulatory frameworks such as sufficient and effective feed-in tariffs that encourage renewable energy developments, and that provide sufficient financial security to promote long-term investment, especially for smaller, community-based investors;

3. raise the political and social awareness to foster the political will towards the inevitable use of renewable energy, especially by engaging and enabling individual citizens, community power proponents and the youth;

4. create new human, industrial, administrative and financial capacities and strengthen appropriate supportive and dedicated structures and institutions for renewable energy;

5. increase energy supply security and system stability through a balanced supply mix of renewable energy and geographically distributed generation and increase interaction of local, national, regional and global networks and alliances that contribute to greater cooperation between renewable energy technologies such as International Renewable Energy Alliance;

6. reduce overall costs for energy supply through the increased deployment of renewable energy power as already proven successfully in arious jurisdictions such as Brazil, Denmark, Germany and Spain;

7. call on all governments and the private sector to support the creation of a new independent international renewable energy agency IRENA as prepared by the German Government, already supported by numerous governments from around the world;

8. develop, use and expand appropriate national, regional and international financing mechanisms for the exclusive realisation of renewable energy, like funds that are supporting community power investment such as a community power fund;

9. enhance developing countries to get easier access to technology transfer in order to realise the full benefits of renewable technologies such as sustainable jobs through local manufacturing, direct economic benefits through community based ownership and accessible energy for increased wealth and productivity;

10. take into account the key role of renewable energies and to create the long-term frameworks for their full deployment for the success of Post-Kyoto arrangements and goals on mitigation of climate change; such new frameworks should especially be designed in order to support smaller scaled, decentralised and community based investment;

11. note that the next International Governmental Renewable Energy Conference will take place in India in 2010, hosted by the Indian Government, and encourage governments and the private sector to proactively contribute to its preparatory process;

12. note that the next World Wind Energy Conference will be held on Jeju Island, South Korea, in June 2009, and encourage all members of the Association, others involved in wind power and other renewable energy development, operation and financing as well as the exhibitors to further the cause of wind power development and the expansion of the role of Renewable Energy by participating in the Korean Conference.

Resolved and communicated: 26 June 2008