A breath of fresh air for Bonn delegates

The wind sector made its presence felt with side events and eye catching displays at the latest major climate meeting, the 5th Conference of Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Bonn in late October and early November. The wind side events were reported to be two of the most popular of about 130 on different themes.

Environmental group Greenpeace International and the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) organised an event to promote their "Wind Force 10" study, which shows how 10% of the world's power could come from wind by 2020 (Windpower Monthly, November 1999). "The side event was planned to help put renewables more clearly on the energy radar screen and to expose non-OECD delegates to wind power as a credible source of energy," says Karl Mallon of Greenpeace. Meanwhile, EWEA, Greenpeace and the Danish Forum for Energy and Development-the three groups behind the report-also called on government ministers at Bonn to ensure that the "clean development mechanism," which gives credits for funding projects in developing countries, will promote renewable energy technology transfer and exclude nuclear power and "clean coal." EWEA also displayed a turbine blade and nacelle to catch the attention of participants encountering wind energy for the first time.

The second side event included a well attended excursion to the Grevenbroich Windstation and was organised jointly by the Germany's Association for the Promotion of Wind Energy, Fördergesellschaft Windenergie (FGW) and the federal environment ministry.

Meanwhile, in a workshop on saving energy organised by the Centre for Policy Research, based in Moscow, wind was given another chance to raise its profile. Dirk Jesaitis of German planning company Wind 7 Ag gave a presentation on wind energy successes in Germany, and Robert Grassmann of the German Investment and Development Company, based in Cologne, discussed the financing of wind projects.