Sustainable Industrialization: Development of Innovations, Rational Production and Consumption, Access to Affordable Energy Sources

In the modern world, international cooperation in the energy sector is essential for economic and scientific and technological interaction between states.

The main areas of such cooperation include:

• exchange of energy resources;
• joint development of promising energy technologies;
• transfer of knowledge and competencies in the scientific and technological sphere.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals provide clear guidelines for global and regional energy cooperation, highlighting three priority areas:

• doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030;
• increasing substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix;
• ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services.

In accordance with these objectives, energy market participants are making a consistent transition:

• abandoning carbon-intensive generation using traditional fuels;
• optimising energy transmission, distribution and end consumption;
• increasing the share of renewable energy.

Despite the continuing dependence of many countries in the region on fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) for their energy security and economic stability, a divergence of approaches is expected in the medium term:

• some states will maintain their focus on traditional energy sources;
• others are stepping up the use of renewable sources.

A promising area of cross-border cooperation among the CIS countries could be synchronising the operation of traditional power plants and renewable energy facilities (primarily solar and wind generation). Such a combination would allow them to:

• ensure a sustainable energy supply;
• fulfil commitments on the climate agenda;
• create a mutually beneficial model of energy partnership.

International cooperation plays a critical role in this process uniting the efforts of states, business, science and international organisations. The session will provide a platform for sharing experiences, discussing the best practices and finding solutions for the sustainable regional development.