European Parliament President, EU Energy Commissioner, International Energy Agency Chief, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Address Energy Efficiency Global Forum

Brussels, Belgium, April 12, 2011 – The Alliance to Save Energy’s fourth annual Energy Efficiency Global Forum (EE Global) – an official event of this year’s EU Sustainable Energy Week – opens here today at THE SQUARE Meeting Centre with a world-class lineup of more than 100 public and private sector speakers from five continents.

The conference is co‐hosted by the newly formed European Alliance to Save Energy (EASE).

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek, U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy Jonathan Elkind, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, former Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, European Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger and International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka, as well as four members of the European Parliament and two U.S. Ambassadors, are among the notables who will address hundreds of energy policy makers and private sector leaders from nearly 40 countries at three plenary sessions during the conference.

“EE Global is a launching pad for ideas, innovations, intersections and solutions that change the energy landscape, not only in Europe but across the globe.  The symposium provides unparalleled opportunities for networking and sharing of best practices for the world’s energy experts and decision makers in government, business and the nonprofit sectors,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “EE Global is a singular event in the energy efficiency arena – a forum where those with a shared passion for energy efficiency and the power to effect change can advance a global energy efficiency agenda.”

Monica Frassoni, president of the European Alliance to Save Energy, added: “Never before has the case for greater energy savings been so strong. Greater energy efficiency is the fastest, cheapest, safest, easiest and cleanest way to deliver climate and energy security. It is an area where businesses active in Europe excel, and where the right mix of policy and business leadership can improve and protect Europe’s competitiveness. I hope that year’s EE Global will contribute to giving Europe’s policy makers the impetus they need to put energy efficiency further up their list of priorities.” 

PLENARY SESSION ROSTER
The speakers for today’s opening plenary session from 16:00 to 18:00 are:

• Monica Frassoni, president, European Alliance to Save Energy;
• Claude Turmes, European Parliament member from Luxembourg
• Nobuo Tanaka;
• Dave Szczupak, executive vice president, global product organization, Whirlpool Corporation;
• Ashok Lavasa, additional secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India;
• Dr. Hubert Keiber, CEO, Siemens Building Technologies; and,
• Hon.  Günther Oettinger.

Speakers at the morning plenary session on Wednesday, 13 April (08:30 to 10:30) are:

• Kateri Callahan;
• Hon. Jerzy Buzek;
• Tony Robson, CEO, Knuaf Insulation;
• Hon. Bruce Oreck, U.S. ambassador to Finland & chair, League of Green Embassies;
• Jonathan Elkind;
• Guy Dufraisse, senior vice president, energy efficiency and solutions, Schneider Electric; and,
• Fiona Harvey, environment correspondent, The Guardian.

The 2011 EE Visionary Awards, presented at the 14 April Plenary Awards Luncheon (12:15 to 13:45) will honor the forward-thinking policy makers behind today’s “best of the best” practices in energy efficiency. Siemens Building Technologies Division President Andreas Schierenbeck will make introductory remarks, and then awards will be presented to the following recipients selected by the EE Global International Steering Committee:

• Members of European Parliament Bendt Bendtsen, Lena Ek, Peter Liese and Claude Turmes;  
• President of Mexico Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, accepted by Emiliano Pedraza, general director, Mexican National Commission for Energy Efficiency;
• Former Governor of Colorado Bill Ritter Jr., now the director of the Center for the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University; and,
• UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres.

Interspersed among the three plenary sessions are 20 90-minute Executive Dialogue sessions organized into four tracks: policy, innovations and measurements, case studies and finance and education.

U.S. EMBASSY ENERGY EFFICIENCY MAKEOVER
A highlight of this year’s conference is the energy efficiency makeover of the 230-year-old U.S. Embassy residence currently occupied by the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman and his family. Improvements include new products ranging from lighting, kitchen appliances and insulation to space and water heating equipment and power meters.

Joining the Alliance in this effort is the League of Green Embassies, chaired by U.S. Ambassador to Finland Bruce Oreck. The U.S. State Department-affiliated league is a global network of more than 50 U.S. diplomatic missions with a common agenda for energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation. 

“The exciting energy-efficiency makeover of Ambassador Gutman’s historic and elegant residence was inspired and supported by the work of the League of Green Embassies and made possible by the generous donation of products from seven Alliance Associate members,” Callahan explained.

“The Alliance expresses its sincere thanks to 3M, Danfoss, Johnson Controls, Knauf Insulation, Philips, Schneider Electric and Whirlpool, not only for their generosity in donating the products themselves, but also for providing the labor to install them in time for EE Global,” Callahan continued. “The makeover clearly demonstrates that energy efficiency is appropriate and possible for all buildings, regardless of their age or historic and architectural significance.”

A media briefing and tour of the residence’s new energy-efficiency features will take place on Wednesday, April 13, at 17:00. Media wishing to cover the event must RSVP to Jacqueline Deley, U.S. Embassy, Brussels, at deleyjs@state.gov or 32-2-811-4907. Media bringing photo and/or video equipment must arrive 30-40 minutes prior to start of event for security clearance.