January 6, 2009 - High-caliber speakers will be exploring the issue of energy supply security at the fourth WORLD ENERGY DIALOGUE, which will be held on the second and third day of HANNOVER MESSE 2009. The following are already confirmed as keynote speakers: Germany's Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Michael Glos, its Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Russia's Energy Minister, Sergei Shmatko.The dialogue, which will be held on 21 and 22 April 2009, will once again be chaired by environmental expert Dr. Klaus Töpfer, Germany's former Minister for the Environment. Dr.
Töpfer recently called for targeted investment in efficient, leading-edge technologies and products in order to keep pace with the world's growing demand for energy, arguing that this was the right path towards a sustainable economic policy. "One can't simply preserve jobs for the sake of preserving jobs. Creating employment opportunities into the future requires global environmental leadership. Climate-friendly production is the solution to the current crisis, not its cause," Dr. Töpfer said.
Germany's Federal Minister of Economics, Michael Glos, is both a keynote speaker at the 2009 World Energy Dialogue (WED) and the event's official patron. The international summit is co-organized by the Federation of German Industries (BDI), the Germany Energy Agency (dena) and HANNOVER MESSE. The lineup of speakers also includes:- Youn Ho Lee, Minister of Knowledge Economy of Korea- Prof. Dr. Hans-Peter Keitel, President of the BDI- Jennifer M.
Granholm, Michigan State Governor - Hildegard Müller, Chairman of the Management Board, German Energy and Water Industry Federation (BDEW)- Tuomo Hatakka, CEO, Vattenfall Europe- Stephan Kohler, CEO, German Energy Agency (dena) All speakers will be putting forward suggestions for achieving global energy supply security, particularly in the context of globalization, diminishing natural resources and climate change. In addition, they will be exploring the energy policy issues currently confronting Russia, the US, Africa, Korea and Northeast Asia. Further topics include the intelligent networking of energy systems, the integration of renewables as well as planned power station and power grid projects.
The World Energy Dialogue will be held in Hall 27 at the Hannover Exhibition Center during HANNOVER MESSE 2009 (the Hannover Fair). The first day of the summit will close with the awards ceremony for the Energy Efficiency Award 2009, which recognizes innovative energy efficiency projects by industry and the manufacturing trades. 650 industry professionals from 25 nations attended WED 2008, which focused on 'The Future of Power Plants and Grids'.