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SOURCE European Union
MONTREAL, March 20, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - Hundreds of experts from North
America and the European Union (EU) met today at the Palais des congrès
de Montréal to discuss energy efficiency, green cities and clean energy
at Going Green - Smart Choices for a Sustainable Future.
At this major event, organized by the EU alongside negotiations for the
ambitious free-trade treaty between Canada and the EU, specialists
shared ideas on the main challenges and business opportunities
associated with the emergence of an "intelligent" economy, based on
clean energy and sustainable growth. Among those attending the event
were Canada's Environment Minister, Peter Kent, and renowned economist
Jeremy Rifkin, president of the Foundation on Economic Trends and
best-selling author, who presented his theory on the "Third Industrial
Revolution."
"Internet technology and renewable energy are merging to create a
powerful 'Third Industrial Revolution.' Imagine hundreds of millions of
people producing their own green energy in their homes, offices and
factories, and sharing it with each other in an 'energy Internet,' just
like we now create and share information online. The five pillars of
the Third Industrial Revolution will create thousands of businesses and
millions of jobs, and usher in a fundamental reordering of human
relationships, from hierarchical to lateral power, that will impact the
way we conduct business, govern society, educate our children and
engage in civic life," said Mr. Rifkin in his presentation.
The event also shed light on best practices in the EU and Canada for
creating partnership opportunities between cities on the two
continents. Representatives from Hamburg and Nantes presented green
initiatives in their cities that led to their being chosen as European
Green Capital in 2011 and 2013 respectively. Representatives from
Vancouver and Montreal also presented their sustainable development
action plans.
"In both Canada and the EU, there has been a growing understanding that
smart, sustainable growth cannot just be achieved only at the local
level, but also needs a regional, continental and global dimension to
succeed. The research and innovation needed to meet these challenges
requires a critical mass of expertise going beyond any one city or
region. Canada and the EU regularly confer to share best practices
beyond their respective boundaries," said Ambassador Matthias
Brinkmann, head of the European Union Delegation in Canada.
This EU initiative is part of the Europe 2020 strategy, which targets a
20% cut in Europe's annual primary energy consumption by 2020. Measures
have been set in motion to increase efficiency at all stages of the
energy chain: generation, transformation, distribution and final
consumption. Energy efficiency and renewable energy sources will be
essential if CO2 targets are to be met by 2020 and beyond. An important
message is that caring for the environment can be a source of economic
growth, by encouraging innovative clean technologies and the
development of new services such as eco-tourism.
"A smart economy must be based on a low carbon and climate resilient
path. This is not a vision for the future only; it is a vision for
right now," concluded Humberto Delgado Rosa, director for mainstreaming
adaptation and low-carbon technology, DG Climate Action, European
Commission.
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