Security Programme - [02/03/2007]

Ricardo Lagos warns that energy has become a political weapon

The former President of Chile Ricardo Lagos participated in War and Peace in the 21st Century, a seminar organised by the CIDOB Foundation and held in PedralbesPalace, which, in its sixth edition, dealt with the geopolitical dimension of energy and, more concretely, the situation in Latin America. Lagos, who was the President of Chile from 2000 to 2006, stated, “Energy will continue to be a political weapon if non-conventional sources of energy, which also avoid global warming, are not promoted”. He highlighted the need to advance toward renewable sources of energy, despite their high prices. “They are more expensive, but we are already paying for them. Moreover, what is really costly is not having energy.”

The seminar, which year after year brings together high-level experts, politicians and scholars to analyse the challenges posed in the international order, was led on this occasion by Narcís Serra, President of the CIDOB Foundation and Manuel Castells, a lecturer in the Open University of Catalonia (UOC). In addition to the intervention by Ricardo Lagos, the seminar also featured the participation of such figures, among others, as the Mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu; Jean-Paul Decaestecker, energy advisor to Javier Solana in the European Council; Paulina Beato, Director of Repsol YPF; Robert E. Mabro, a researcher at St. Antony’s College and the founder and former Director of the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies; and Adrián Lajous, President of Petrométrica, S.C., of Mexico.

Hereu, who inaugurated the seminar, outlined a plan for improving energy use in Barcelona. “We want to limit current energy consumption, foster the use of renewable sources of energy and increase self-production of energy, so that by 2010 1% of the energy used in the city will be generated from renewable sources.” The Mayor of Barcelona, who highlighted the viability of these measures in the local sphere, wants to make a commitment to having a sustainable city. “This plan for improving energy use will allow Barcelona to reduce its emissions of CO2 by 22,000 tonnes.”

Jean-Paul Decaestecker, energy advisor to Javier Solana in the European Council, warned of the dangers involved in the European Union’s dependence on Russia with regard to its energy supply. “This dependence is going to grow, since oil prices, which are lower now, fluctuate. This signifies a heavy load for poor countries.”

Paulina Beato, Director of Repsol YPF, complained that over the last few years the governments of Latin America have opted for increasingly interventionist measures. “The political environment is quite dissuasive for investment by companies in Latin America in processes of integration.”

Finally, Narcís Serra, President of the CIDOB Foundation, declared that “the high consumption of energy could generate supply problems”. He added that this growth is not sustainable. “There is concern among citizens not only for having the energy supply guaranteed but also for arriving at a sustainable consumption that does not endanger the environment.”

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