Portuguese energy giant EDP has presented a set of climate change countermeasures to the UN, including a pledge to invest €200 million by 2020 in research partnerships and the development of clean technologies, energy efficiency and intelligent networks.
"The commitment to provide competitive power based on low carbon levels that are capable of ensuring sustainable economic growth is central to EDP's strategy. But we think we must all do more.
"By committing itself, with quantified targets, EDP is to contribute and show the world that it is possible to be more ambitious in tackling climate change," said the EDP Chief Executive, António Mexia.
During the forum, Meixa also committed EDP to four other measures: exceeding 75% of renewable energy capacity by 2020, promoting energy efficiency gains with its customers equivalent to 1TWh by 2020, speeing up the installation of smart meters reaching 90% of low voltage delivery points in the Iberian Peninsula by 2030, and a reduction of 75% in CO2 emissions from 2005 to 2030.
Mexia was participating in a forum with private sector companies at the UN Sustainable Development Summit where delegates included the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
During the summit, new Sustainable Development Goals were approved, including combatting climate change which was one of the 17 goals that replace the eight Millennium Development Goals programme set in 2007 which ended this year.
See also:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
