World Renewable Energy Assembly (WREA) 2005
November 26th to 30th, 2005, Bonn/Germany

3rd World Renewable Energy Forum
November 30th, 2005

Final Communiqué

Video*

Play (only in german language)

The Human Right to Renewable Energy

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.“ This first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights articulates a basic human commitment. Only by respecting this commitment, a humane life in peace can be assured.

Energy is the fundamental prerequisite of every life. The availability of energy is a fundamental and indivisible human right.

It is an experience of the 20th century that the established systems of energy supply, mainly based on fossil and nuclear energy, are not in a position to provide this human right to everybody. It is violated billionfold. Due to the near depletion of conventional energy sources and their dramatic environmental and climate damages, this right cannot be provided to an ever increasing number of people. The human right for renewable energy can only be accomplished by renewable energy.

There is no more time to waste for the mobilisation of renewable energy. Until now, international efforts clearly lag behind the necessity and the existing opportunities. The numerous UN conferences promise more than they can deliver because they are tied to consensual decision-making in every step. UN organisations and multilateral development banks were either not willing or hindered to shift their priorities towards renewable energy. The Kyoto Protocol falls far short of its requirements. Its main problem lies in the focus on emission rights and trading instead of reducing emissions by a change of a paradigm shift towards renewables. The promotion of nuclear power ist fixed in international right, in contrary to renewable energy. The fossil and nuclear energy system still receives around 500 billion US Dollar of subsidies annually, about 50 times more than renewable energy.

International governmental institutions reflect this discrimination of renewable energy. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) promotes the proliferation of nuclear technology, the International Energy Agency (IEA) is operating as a satellite of the fossil energy industry. Both are misleading governments by playing down risks of nuclear and fossil energy and by negating the potentials of renewable energy. Both agencies are leading their governments to an energy policy ignorant of the future. This matter of fact has to be recognised and the persons in charge have to be named. They have to account not only for their actions, but also for their inaction.

Prices for conventional energies are increasing in the course of their depletion and their disastrous damages. Renwable energy is steadily getting cheaper due to its continual improvement and economies of scale. Humanity now is at the crossroads. Today and in the future, the costs of renewables enable a sustainable, cheap and sufficient energy supply for everybody.

Any further postponing is irresponsible. There are economic reasons, ecological reasons and the question of peace that speak in favour of renewable energy. All together, a basic ethic decision in favour of renewable energy is resulting from these reasons.

1. The World Renewable Energy Assembly (WREA) welcomes the official plan of the new German Federal Government to take the initiative for the creation of an International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This initiative will be successful if its creation is not depending on an overall consensus but implemented by a group of like-minded governments in conjunction with an invitation to all governments to join this agency.
   
2. It is most important to initiate a strategy of phasing out fossil fuels by mobilising biofuels in order to avoid the arising gap of oil and gas shortage and the increase in price. Furthermore, it is necessary to organise a world trade regime which does not oppose the development of domestic biofuel economies and an agriculture related to it.
   
3. The World Renewable Energy Assembly (WREA) highlights the proposals of the 2nd World Renewable Energy Forum 2004 and its “World Renewable Energy Agenda”:

Our guiding model is the stimulation and promotion of local initiatives instead of waiting for international agreements any further. Mobilisation of renewables is an unique new chance, not an economic burden.

The World Renewable Energy Assembly 2006 will be themed

“Energy Independence for all.”

Final Communiqué in English (pdf) | Press release December, 1st, 2005

Final Communiqué in German (pdf)

Final Communiqué in Spanish (pdf)

Final Communiqué in Portuguese (pdf)

Final Communiqué in Hungarian (pdf)