Page 24 - European Energy Innovation - Autumn 2014
P. 24
Autumn 2014 European Energy Innovation
PORTS
EU energy policy: Energy is high on the
agenda of Europe’s
Impact on European decision makers.
Half of the candidate
ports Commissioners were claiming the
Energy portfolio and the Energy
By Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General ESPO committee in the Parliament
was also first on the wish list of
many incoming Members of the
European Parliament.
Not without reason. First, there
is climate change. We all know
that to tackle the climate change
phenomenon we need to
“decarbonise”, stop the burning
of fossil fuels. This is achievable
through shifting to renewable
energy sources and pursuing
energy efficiency.
Second, there are the delicate
geopolitical relations with Russia,
the biggest exporter of fossil
energy sources in the world,
which obliges us to reflect on our
energy supply and indirectly also
on our dependency of oil and
gas.
Ports have an important role to
play in the field of energy. First
there is the maritime transport
side. And since ports are more
than transhipment platforms we
should also look at the other
transport modes connecting the
maritime leg with the hinterland.
How can all transport modes
respond to the upcoming
challenges? But there is more:
ports traditionally play an
important in importing, exporting,
storing and distributing energy.
Finally, ports are also home to
vast industrial complexes. If
those industries are faced with
difficult targets as regards energy
efficiency or decarbonisation, this
will also affect the ports that host
them.
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
PORTS
EU energy policy: Energy is high on the
agenda of Europe’s
Impact on European decision makers.
Half of the candidate
ports Commissioners were claiming the
Energy portfolio and the Energy
By Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General ESPO committee in the Parliament
was also first on the wish list of
many incoming Members of the
European Parliament.
Not without reason. First, there
is climate change. We all know
that to tackle the climate change
phenomenon we need to
“decarbonise”, stop the burning
of fossil fuels. This is achievable
through shifting to renewable
energy sources and pursuing
energy efficiency.
Second, there are the delicate
geopolitical relations with Russia,
the biggest exporter of fossil
energy sources in the world,
which obliges us to reflect on our
energy supply and indirectly also
on our dependency of oil and
gas.
Ports have an important role to
play in the field of energy. First
there is the maritime transport
side. And since ports are more
than transhipment platforms we
should also look at the other
transport modes connecting the
maritime leg with the hinterland.
How can all transport modes
respond to the upcoming
challenges? But there is more:
ports traditionally play an
important in importing, exporting,
storing and distributing energy.
Finally, ports are also home to
vast industrial complexes. If
those industries are faced with
difficult targets as regards energy
efficiency or decarbonisation, this
will also affect the ports that host
them.
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
