Energy and climate requires third industrial revolution

7 December 2006

The challenges of energy and climate change calls for a third industrial revolution – a sustainability revolution based on energy efficiency, renewable energies and the capture of global warming gases – according to Europe’s socialist, social democratic and labour parties.

Party leaders, meeting at the PES Congress in Porto, agreed common principles for a social democratic approach towards a European Energy Policy. Key points adopted by PES Congress for a common European energy policy should be

• tackling climate change and energy policy in a more coherent way
• addressing the security of energy supply 
• sustainability to ensure the survival of future generations
• using the economic opportunities for growth and job creation offered by this global challenge through developing new ecologically sound industrial policies
• A target of 20 per cent energy consumption reduction through energy efficiency 
• A target of 15 per cent of energy supply coming from renewable energies by 2015 and 50 per cent by 2040. 

The resolution, presented by Finnish Social Democratic Party Leader Eero Heinaluoma, stressed that the social dimension of energy policy was as important as the economic, environmental and security aspects. The PES resolution calls on the EU to agree a timetable for reducing fossil fuel dependence and for the Emissions Trading Scheme to be extended internationally and run for at least 20 years involving all relevant sectors.

The PES proposals were drawn up by a High Level Group involving amongst others German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel, UK Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks, and Swedish Ministers Thomas Ostros and Stefan Stern.  Those taking part in the debate on energy at Congress included Eero Heinaluoma, John Prescott and Mircea Geoana.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Julian Scola, Press Officer, Party of European Socialists, , mobile +32 486 117 394