ABOUT EGCFE
INTRODUCTION
The EGCFE is one
of five Expert Groups that were established by, and report directly
to, the Energy Working Group (EWG). The EWG is one of ten such groups
that implement the Action Agenda of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC).
The EGCFE is presently
chaired by the United States, and has three main program elements: clean
fossil energy policy; clean fossil energy technology; and oil and gas.
The EGCFE meets twice each year. An EGCFE Business Meeting is held in
conjunction with the annual technical seminar between September and
November each year. The location changes among APEC member economies,
and is usually held in the same city as the annual technical seminar.
This short meeting reviews results of the seminar, and discusses a range
of short- and longer-term planning issues.
A more lengthy Planning
Meeting is held in spring to discuss and complete detailed plans concerning
future activities, including the planning and detailed budgeting for
its annual seminar, review of current projects, and preparation of project
funding proposals.
The organizational
relationship between EWG, EGCFE and its programs is described in a chart
below.
OUR
MISSION
The EGCFE’s
mission is to encourage the use of clean fuels and energy technologies
that will both contribute to sound economic performance and achieve
high environmental standards. The EGCFE undertakes activities to concurrently
enhance economic development and mitigate, at the local, regional, and
global levels, the environmental impact (e.g., air emissions, water
and waste management) related to the production, preparation, transport,
storage, and use of fossil fuels. Considerable emphasis is given to
developing and promoting options to mitigate local, regional, and global
environmental impacts of fossil energy production and use.
OUR
OBJECTIVES
- Consistent with
the overall goals and principles expressed in initiatives endorsed by
the APEC Leaders and Energy Ministers and their various declarations
and statements, the objectives of the EGCFE are to:
- Undertake short-
and longer-term actions to increase regional energy security through
improved production, increased trade, and more efficient utilization
of fossil fuels.
- Facilitate
and encourage integration of environmental considerations into the
energy planning and evaluation process.
- Facilitate
and encourage acceleration of the commercialization and use of appropriate
clean (i.e., environmentally sound) fossil energy technologies and
processes.
- Pursue and
facilitate voluntary, cooperative, joint activities, including demonstration
projects, between APEC members, particularly to address environmental
concerns related to pollutant emissions and greenhouse gas emissions
from fossil fuel use.
- Examine how
cooperation between member economies can reduce the environmental
impacts of fossil energy production and use to advance the sustainable
economic development objectives of member economies.
- Identify, develop
and promote synergies with other APEC fora.
- In pursuing these
objectives, the EGCFE’s strategic approach is to build upon the
ongoing work of EWG by:
- Assisting the
EWG in implementing its broad-based approach to energy security, involving
continued development of response mechanisms for short-term disruptions
while pursuing longer-term energy security objectives. The EGCFE supports
clean fossil energy aspects of the EWG’s energy security-related
activities including:
• preparing
for energy supply disruptions;
• facilitating energy investment;
• using energy more efficiently;
• expanding energy choices; and
• capitalizing on technological innovation.
- Increasing
the understanding of relevant clean fossil energy technologies and
facilitating access to those technologies by encouraging information
exchange.
- Recommending
actions that improve the environmental performance of fossil energy
usage through an integrated approach to achieve an environmentally
and economically sustainable energy mix.
- Promote development
of technological infrastructure and application of clean fossil energy
technologies.
- Enabling joint
research and development of clean fossil energy technologies that
are adapted to the needs of APEC members, as well as demonstrating
and transferring appropriate clean fossil energy technologies.
- Increasing
cooperation with other APEC and non-APEC organizations where mutual
benefits exist.
- Significantly
increasing and sustaining the involvement of the business sector in
the Clean Fossil Energy programs and activities.
- Maintaining
and enhancing open, efficient regional fossil energy markets and reducing
regulatory and trade barriers to fossil energy investment and transfer
of clean fossil energy technologies.
- Addressing
institutional, regulatory, human resource, and other impediments related
to the uptake of environmentally sound fossil energy technologies.
- Efficiently
operating and maintaining relevant technologies already in application.
- Facilitating
efficient production, distribution, and consumption of all fossil
fuels, adoption of least-cost approaches to fossil energy services,
and reduction of fossil energy subsidies.
- Promoting cost-effective
measures that improve the efficiency at which fossil energy is used.
OUR
ROLE
The primary role
of the APEC Expert Group on Clean Fossil Energy (EGCFE) is to support
the work of the Energy Working Group (EWG) by gathering and sharing
timely information regarding technical, economic, and policy aspects
of fossil energy production, transportation, and use within the APEC
region. Specifically, the Group focuses on promoting clean fossil energy
options by facilitating, coordinating, and implementing a variety of
activities, including projects, studies, workshops, conferences, and
other meetings, related to clean and efficient production and use of
fossil fuels.
The EGCFE’s
work focuses strongly on the linkages between fossil energy production
and use and associated environmental issues, which need to be considered
in developing government programs and policy actions in member economies
and addressed in commercial projects by the private sector and financial
institutions. Particular attention is given to enhancing the long-term
economic and environmental sustainability of the entire fossil fuel
production and use cycle throughout the region. This includes gathering
and distribution of information regarding all aspects of clean fossil
energy with the aim of promoting joint research, development, and demonstration
activities, development of commercial projects employing clean fossil
fuels and technologies, and establishment of a sound climate for clean
fossil energy investments in the region.
OUR
WORK
The working methods
used by the EGCFE to implement its strategic approach and achieve these
objectives include:
- Seeking opportunities
for cooperation between APEC members with respect to learning from
each other's experiences and tackling the new environmental challenges
in a multilateral context. This approach is necessary to address cross-border
(i.e. regional and global) impacts of environmental problems, which
require collective action.
- Identifying
important gaps that need attention. An important goal is to develop
a strong energy-environmental strategy that is both consistent with
and will result in synergies with the activities of various Experts
Groups.
- Developing
and promoting new initiatives associated with promoting the use of
environmentally sound and efficient fossil energy technologies and
introduction of measures to mitigate adverse environmental effects.
- Coordinating
activities with organizations involved with fossil energy use will
reduce unnecessary duplication. Improved coordination will require
collection of information on environmental programs and strategies,
and exchanges with producers, consumers, and policy-makers within
government.
- Reviewing current
and future initiatives to ensure that participation of women will
be sought. Into addition, women will be encouraged to participate
in the planning, management, allocation of resources, and implementation
of all EGCFE activities.
TERMS
OF REFERENCE
For more details
about the objectives, role and mandates of EGCFE, please see the Terms
of Reference [PDF-32KB].
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