The World Future Energy Summit has been taking place in Abu Dhabi, with “Top government officials, heads of global organisations, leading environmentalists and the largest international investors” getting together to debate and invest in the future of the world’s energy.
Despite participation by many less-than-green companies, TreeHugger are optimistic about the talks:
The language spoken here is undoubtedly the language of business. The delegates to this gathering are not environmentalists, they are businesspeople, with varying levels of environmental commitment. However, they all seem to realize that renewable energy is an excellent business opportunity, and much of the discussion revolves around how to create the optimum climate for investing in sustainable enterprises.
The Guardian’s environmental blogger, Terry Macalister, is in attendence and has some tough questions for the energy movers and shakers:
BP, Shell and Exxon are also here to trumpet their solutions to global warming. I will be wanting to know from Vivienne Cox, head of renewables at BP, how she justifies putting all her (meagre in group terms) cash into US wind instead of British turbine projects, for instance.
I will want to find out from Ditlev Engel, chief executive of Vestas, the biggest turbine-maker, how the economic downturn is hitting his business while getting Kieran Drain, the president of Nanogram, to explain what he means by his “new paradigm” in solar energy.
The Energy Collective have been liveblogging the event, offering photos and commentary on the speakers and Abu Dhabi itself.
GreenBiz’s Marc Gunther offers some more observations and speaks to the CEO of wind power company Vestas, Ditlev Engel, about the future of renewable energy.
Australian GG Quentin Bryce will address the conference today to discuss Australia’s commitment (or lack thereof?) to clean energy, before former British PM Tony Blair gives a talk on ‘Breaking the Climate Deadlock‘.
