Speech at WIREC, Washington 4 March

Mrs. Liv Monica Stubholt's speaking points at the Side Event of the International Hydro Power Association on “Defining Sustainable Hydropower”, the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference Wirec 2008 on 4 March.

• The Symphony of Renewables consists of many instruments such as wind-power both on- and offshore, solar, geothermal, osmosis, wave and tidal power, and last but far from least; hydropower.

• Hydropower is by far the largest source of renewable energy. Worldwide, almost 20 per cent of electricity and 90% of the world’s supply from renewable energy comes from hydropower.
In my country, Norway, hydropower’s percentage in electricity production is incredible 99!

• Norway has developed hydropower for more than a century.
We are the world’s 6th largest producer, and has an installed capacity of more than 29 000 MW. I am proud of the competence we have developed.

• Norway has a long tradition for developing sustainable hydropower projects. Environmental considerations, public acceptance, benefit-sharing, and technical innovations are key considerations.

• Hydropower was a key factor in transforming Norway from one of the poorest countries of Europe about one century ago, to the industrialized and wealthy nation of today. The correlation between hydropower development and economic growth is striking. It has also helped us develop a highly skilled hydropower industry.

• From the beginning of the twentieth century, far-sighted legislators saw hydropower as a resource that should benefit the whole society.

• In the future, we will meet huge challenges connected to developing a sustainable energy sector to address problems related to CO2-emissions. Besides developing technology for carbon capture and storage, which is a top priority for the Norwegian Government, we must work hard to develop more renewable energy as well as focus much more on energy efficiency.

• In this connection, hydropower is a clean and renewable energy source with no emissions. As an additional benefit, hydropower can work in synergy with intermittent and variable renewables such as wind and solar, thus maintaining grid stability and energy storage which can increase system reliability and balance the intermittency of energy derived from renewable energy sources.

• Hydropower provides the bulk of electricity in 65 countries.
There is a revival of hydropower on several continents, with huge developments going especially in Asia, Africa, and Latin-America (China, India, and Brazil).

• 99% of people without electricity live in developing countries.
However, some countries with advanced rural electrification programmes, have managed to supply the majority of their people.

• For many developing countries, hydropower is the major domestic resource of energy. We also know that currently 1.6 billion have no access to electricity. Some 3 million deaths each year are caused by air pollution from biomass and fossil fuel combustion.
Vast areas of arable land are being neutralised by acid rain.

• By developing hydropower, these countries
- will become less dependent on importing costly fossil fuels,
- can avoid negative effects connected to deforestation and indoor-pollution by using fuel-wood.
- can reduce their carbon emissions dramatically

• Based on a poll of sustainability experts across mainly OECD countries, two issues sit at the top of the priority list for focus by world leaders: fresh water and renewable energy. Hydropower lies at the nexus.

• It was said at the African Ministerial Conference on Hydropower and Sustainable Development in 2006 in Johannesburg that it is important “to unlock the hydropower potential of Africa as a major renewable energy option to promote sustainable development, regional integration, water and energy security, and poverty eradication in Africa.”

•  “Clean energy for development” plays an important role in our development programme. In the last few years, the funding has increased substantially for the renewable sector and especially for hydropower where we have world-class competence to share with developing countries. I hope this can be one answer to the call from Africa.

• We want to share the “Norwegian model” with developing hydropower nations, spreading our values related to environmentally and socially sound project development and management of the energy sector.

• Sustainable hydropower development is a main driver for us.
The main of our licensing system has been to focus strongly on mitigating social end environmental effects. Transparency, public participation and benefit-sharing are key words in this respect

• In a time when we feel the impacts of climate change, reservoirs will be needed, not only for producing renewable hydropower, but also for controlling floods and store water to combat draught following unpredictable weather patterns.

• Despite all the benefits, hydropower has also some environmental, social and financial challenges to deal with.  Proper project planning can avoid serious negative impacts. With appropriate management, most of the potential negative impacts of hydropower can be effectively mitigated. Where mitigation is not possible, there are ways to provide adequate compensation.

• Thus, it is very important to have in place safeguards that ensure that social and environmental impacts are dealt with in a responsible way when tapping this unique renewable resource.
In countries with less developed institutional frameworks and adequate legislation, international guidelines will play an important role.

• I am pleased that the hydropower industry itself, through the International Hydropower Association, has responded to the need for measurement of sustainability performance by developing Guidelines and Protocols. By inviting a wide group of stakeholders to a Forum to further improve these tools is very commendable.

• Just recently, the Norwegian Ministry of Finance through the CDM-programme Carbon Neutral Norway, has entered into negotiations regarding the purchase of approximately 1 million CERs. The CERs are to be delivered from the 180 MW Dahuashui Hydropower project in China. One precondition for tenders for hydropower is that projects above 20 MW installed capacity should be based on international good practice, and comply with international thresholds and criteria for the eligibility of hydro projects.

• The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) carried out the due-dilligence of the projects’ environmental and social merits. NVE used IHA’s Sustainability Assessment Protocol, which was found to be a very useful and practical tool for this type of assessment.

• This shows the importance and usefulness of such Guidelines.

• The Forum of representatives – the “Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum” – will work towards a common understanding of the methodology and scope of the Hydropower Sustainability Guidelines and Assessment Protocol. This is a positive development which will bridge the gap caused by the debates following the WCD-report of November 2000, and which was partly mended by the Dams and Development Project.

• The upcoming work of the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Forum is very important. By carrying out an expert appraisal of the IHA Sustainability Assessment Protocol, we all look forward to an even better sustainability standard for the sector.

• I am very pleased that NORAD is one of the co-sponsors for this important work, which is in line with Norwegian values in the hydropower sector.

• Today, you have gathered experts on environmental, social and economic/financing aspects are participating, along with representatives of developed and developing countries involved in hydropower.

• I look forward to listen to your ideas this afternoon!