ABU DHABI // Governments must encourage competition in the energy field as well as develop policies to further adopt clean technologies, said Dr Sultan al Jaber, chief executive of Masdar, today.
"Competition drives innovation," he said during the opening of the World Future Energy Summit. "We must catalyse the implementation and develop the required regulatory framework that encourages the use of clean energy technologies."
Dr al Jaber added that global leaders should not altogether discount fossil fuels. Energy must come from a mix of sources, he said, including "clean fossil fuels and peaceful nuclear energy". Abu Dhabi is developing a nuclear energy programme and is also leading efforts in carbon capture and storage, a new technology that proponents hope will allow for greenhouse emissions to be captured and stored in geological formations rather than be emitted into the atmosphere.
The president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, said his country was an example of the energy challenges facing the world today. Pakistan must sustain economic growth of eight per cent each year to keep up with its fast-rising population. Within a decade, the country will have to double its current power capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW) to sustain its growth.
"We are an example of the world's energy crisis," he said.
However, the flooding in Pakistan last year that left 20 million people homeless served as a reminder of the need to balance economic growth with environmental concerns, he said.
"Even the most cynical can no longer question the consequences of environmental abuse," said Mr Zardari.
vtodorova@thenational.ae