Young Professionals Energy Parliament: industry before politics?
If it's up to today's Young Professionals, the energy industry and not politicians should take the lead in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and to make the energy mix less dependent on fossil fuels. It might come as a surprise for some that nuclear energy should be an important element in the energy mix of the future, together with wind and solar energy.
These are the conclusions one can draw from the final composition of last Monday's Energy Parliament. Last Monday June 15th, Energy Delta Institute organised a one-day event in Groningen with over 100 Young Professionals working in the energy industry. The aim of this day was to discuss the energy mix for the coming decades and how to address climate change. To stimulate discussions, four fictitious political parties with different views on energy were formed. The Young Professionals were asked to back one of the parties, which sparked immediate discussion.
These discussions were fuelled by a broad selection of speakers. Reinier van den Berg (Meteo Consult) and Pieter Boot (Clingendael) gave inspiring lectures on climate and geopolitics, respectively. This provided the attendants with input for a first round of discussion in smaller groups. After lunch, Catrinus Jepma (Energy Delta Institute) and Salomon Kroonenberg (Delft University of Technology) provided the audience with some fireworks during their clash on the pros and cons of Carbon Capture and Storage. The last plenary discussion was between Jörg Gigler (NV Nederlandse Gasunie) representing sustainable energy sources ('the sun provides us with 10.000 times more energy than we need; why waste this?') and Ronald Schram (NRG), who tried to win the audience by proclaiming that nuclear energy is actually sustainable.
A final Energy Parliament was formed at the end of the day. The Young Professionals were asked to cast their final vote for one of the parties and there was a big swing in the composition of the parliament. The two more outspoken parties ended as the biggest parties drawing electorate from the more moderate parties. While one of the more outspoken parties put its faith in rapid transition to renewables, the other backed nuclear power as the source of the future. Both turned to science and industry, rather than politics to take the lead in energy developments. The day ended with a plenary discussion between the parties and final remarks by Mr George H.B. Verberg (Immediate past president IGU).
The Young Professionals were triggered to get actively involved in the discussions by backing a party. They actively seized this opportunity to try to win others for their parties. The lecturers and the attending members of the board of the International Gas Union 2006 listened with interest how the Young Professionals presented their visions on the matters discussed. Overall, the Young Professional day proved to be a big success with attendants from all over the Netherlands. The event proved to be an ideal meeting place for enhancing networks and establishing new friendships.
On the G50 International Conference the next day, chairman Mr Ruud Lubbers asked the Energy Commissioner for the EU Mr Andris Piebalgs to comment on the outcome of the Young Professional day. Mr Piebalgs stated that nuclear energy certainly has a place in the energy mix for the next decades. He expressed his happiness to hear that the Young Professionals have so much faith in their own industry in addressing energy and climate problems.
If anything, the participants of the Young Professional Day showed they possess the open mind and enthusiasm required for tackling these issues.
