IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka participated in the key note discussion session at the annual Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) conference in Houston. Led by CERA’s Dr. Daniel Yergin, panelists exchanged views on a wide range of issues including low-carbon scenarios, energy technologies (such as electric vehicles[EVs]), regional issues (like China), oil prices, natural gas, nuclear, energy efficiency and others. Mr. Tanaka noted that several symptoms such as the “oil-less” economic recovery in OECD countries and the development of energy technologies in renewable energy, smart grids, nuclear and Evs may indicate a historic transition to a low-carbon economy. See Mr. Tanaka’s interview with Reuters Insider

In a joint statement issued today, the IEA and the technology officers from 30 leading global companies outline concrete action to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. The IEA will work with business to explore possible partnerships and collaboration in the areas of technology roadmaps, technology financing and overcoming barriers to technology diffusion, possibly through implementation of an international low-carbon energy technology platform.

IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka gave a presentation at the International Conference on Civil Nuclear Energy, hosted by the French government, together with the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. After opening remarks by President Sarkozy, who mentioned the IEA's forecasts, and others, Mr. Tanaka took part in a roundtable on the role of nuclear power in ensuring a sustainable energy mix. From left: Pierre-Franck Chevet, Director-General for Energy and Climate Change, French Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea (France); Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director, International Energy Agency; Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (India); Christian Paradis, Minister for Natural Resources (Canada); Fulvio Conti, CEO and Director-General, ENEL.

IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka gave the keynote speech at the 2010 MIT Energy Conference in Cambridge, MA, USA. Mr. Tanaka, pictured here with MIT Professor Ernie Moniz (on the right) and US Senator Jeff Bingaman, Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee (centered), addressed the 800-strong audience on 'Uncertainty and Opportunity in a Changing Energy Landscape'.

IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka gave a keynote presentation on security of supply in South East Europe at a conference hosted by the European Investment Bank in Thessaloniki, Greece. Mr Tanaka also met with the Greek Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Tina Birbili, on 4 March. They discussed proposed changes to Greek regulations on energy efficiency and renewable energy, recent IEA findings and the upcoming IEA In-depth Review of Greek energy policy, among other matters. See also Mr. Tanaka's speech / notes.

IEA Deputy Executive Director Richard Jones welcomed the Governor of Delta State in Nigeria, Dr Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan and his delegation to the IEA. They had a very fruitful discussion about developing collaboration between the IEA and Delta State. Ambassador Jones suggested that the IEA could offer training for statisticians from Delta State as a first step to closer cooperation. Others in the photo include Christophe Nuttall (UNDP) and Stefanie Held (IEA).

Dr. Richard Newell, the Administrator of the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in the US Department of Energy, visited the IEA and met with officials including Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka and Deputy Executive Director Richard Jones. Dr. Newell also presented the results from the recent EIA report, the US Energy Outlook. Click here to view his presentation.

IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka delivered an opening address at the Forum on Global Oil Market Challenges, which was held jointly with IEA and Institute of Energy and Economy of Japan (IEEJ), sponsored by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This was an open forum built on the extensive discussion that took place in the closed expert level work shop on the previous day. More than three hundred people from industry, government, press and research institutions attended. In his presentation, Mr. Tanaka highlighted the importance of reducing uncertainty about fundamentals and how taking various measures towards achieving a better functioning oil market is necessary to reduce volatility. Among many distinguished speakers, Mr. Scott O’Malia, the Commissioner of the US CFTC explained their work on increasing transparency, financial reform and position limits (click here for his remarks).

On 25 February 2010 the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Institute of Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ) conducted a joint oil price formation workshop in Tokyo, with the support of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Read event notice…

IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka was invited by Prime Minister Bajnai of the Republic of Hungary to join the Visegrad 4+ Energy Security Summit in Budapest on 24 February, in which eight Prime Ministers and senior offcials from V4 and surrounding countries participated. In his remarks, Mr. Tanaka stressed several concrete steps to enhance the energy security of the region, including energy efficiency, diversification of supply and gas security measures. The leaders adopted a declaration that facilitates further integration of gas network and other security measures to enhance security.

IEA Comments on International Emissions Reduction Pledges made after the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen. Read more...

On 18 February a workshop was held at IEA Headquarters in response to the request from G20 Leaders to the IEA, OPEC, OECD and World Bank to produce a Joint Report aimed at providing "analysis of the scope of energy subsidies and suggestions for the implementation" of the G20 initiative to "rationalize and phase out over the medium term inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption". The workshop sought views and information from stakeholders with expertise in the field of energy subsidies to help shape the key findings and messages of the Joint Report to the G20.

See agenda.

IEA Deputy Executive Director Richard Jones travelled to Israel from 12-18 February. During this time he addressed the Ninth Israel Middle East Model UN Conference on “Power and Responsibility in Climate Change Negotiations” and took part in the Third Eilat/Eilot Conference on Renewable Energy, where he participated in a roundtable discussion on the future of world energy led by Israeli Minister of National Infrastructures Dr. Uzi Landau, joined a panel discussion led by former New York Governor George Pataki, and delivered a keynote address “Energy efficiency – the Quiet Giant”.

In Tel Aviv he also visited the demonstration center of Better Place (a global provider of electric vehicle networks and services) as well as Site Alpha, its prototype of a fully automated battery swap station. In a discussion with BP Israel VP Ziva Patir, he learned that achieving international standards for EV systems are high on Better Place’s agenda. At Site Alpha he witnessed an automated exchange of batteries in an electric vehicle in three minutes flat. He also saw the system’s capability for handling different types of batteries.

During his visit, Ambassador Jones also had bilateral meetings with Israeli President Shimon Peres and with Minister Landau. In these meetings he informed them of the IEA generally, the World Energy Outlook and IEA efforts to accelerate the spread of low-carbon technologies. As a technology based economy, Israel is eager to develop innovative energy technologies. Both officials expressed considerable interest in how Israel might become more involved in IEA-related technology work.

More photos of the trip: Photo 1; Photo 2; Photo 3; and Photo 4.

IEA and GTZ launch study on sustainable production of second-generation biofuels in Berlin.
See event notice

Ulrich Benterbusch, Director of the IEA Directorate of Global Energy Dialogue, and Brett Jacobs, SE Asia Programmes Manager, met in Bangkok and Jakarta with Dr Wannarat Channukul, Minister of Energy of Thailand, and senior energy officials of Indonesia and Thailand. The IEA and Indonesia and Thailand have developed practical, outcome-orientated bilateral work programmes. Discussions focused on the developing programmes and their next steps for project activities in 2010 and 2011.

Dr. Fatih Birol, IEA Chief Economist, took part in the Troika Russia 2010 Forum in Moscow on 4 February. He participated in two panel discussions focussed on oil and gas markets and the impact of the financial crisis alongsidehigh level officials from GazpromExport, Novatek, TNK-BP, Rosneft, the Russian Academy of Science as well as world renowned energy experts such as Daniel Yergin and Ed Morse.

See press release...

See press release...

Chief Technology Officers (see photo) from 30 leading global companies met with IEA officials in Paris to discuss how technology business leaders and governments can work together to develop and deploy low-carbon energy technologies through enhanced international collaboration. Other topics focused on how business can be more involved in: the implementation of IEA technology roadmaps; the collection of key policy recommendations for policymakers; and broader participation in the IEA energy technology network. IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka opened the meeting along with Bjorn Stigson, President of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and David Eyton, Group Head of Research and Technology at BP.

Following the establishment of the Energy Business Council (EBC), IEA is pleased to announce the set up of a new dedicated website. EBC is an executive-level group that represents a wide variety of companies involved in different aspects of energy exploration, production, transformation and consumption. Its objectives are to reinforce industry-government dialogue and further incorporate business expertise and perspectives into the work of the IEA. To access the website, click here.