A new partnership is needed between energy producer and consumer countries for effective resource management that defends the environment. This point was underscored by Vincenzo Scotti, opening the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Energy Charter. The Conference is taking place at the Foreign Minister in Rome.
The energy question is a “complex challenge” by reason of the growing “competitive pressure for access to resources by “new economies which are major greenhouse gas producers”, Scotti explained. He called for wide-ranging collaboration between governments and industry to combat climate change through “collective accountability”. The energy dimension is a priority for Italy’s foreign policy, which is committed in all international fora which discuss new energy-environment platforms.
The Energy Charter brings together over 50 consumer and producer countries, most of them from Europe and the former Soviet Union. Its main objective is to strengthen energy cooperation by members, through market-opening, legislative harmonisation and the promotion of investments. Other issues for discussion at today’s conference were how to strengthen the Charter’s mechanisms to reinforce energy governance. As of today, 9 December 2009, Jordan too has become a member of the Group.