GENEVA, March 4 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- A groundbreaking international conference will provide a forum for the worlds of energy, environmentalism and development to seek common ground on the challenges facing humanity, and also an unusual opportunity for top Iranian and Western energy officials to talk face to face.
On March 16-17, 2009 the Energy Pact Foundation will be holding the Energy Pact Conference at the International Conference Centre Geneva. The Conference, organised with the support of the Republic and State of Geneva, will for the first time address in an integrated manner the related issues of energy needs and environmental and developmental challenges.
Gerhard Schroder, former Chancellor of Germany, who will chair the Energy Pact Conference, says, "The need for an international accord and an integrated approach on energy, environment and development is high. The issues need to be addressed today and an international platform such as the Energy Pact Conference provides a forum to tackle the challenges together."
Speakers with different backgrounds and expertise will include Ali Al-Naimi, Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia, Gholam Hossein Nozari, Oil Minister of Iran, Gary Ross, CEO of PIRA Energy, a world-renowned energy market specialist, Ashok Khosla, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and President of the Club of Rome, Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director-General of the United Nations, Geneva, academics from MIT, Harvard, Columbia, EPFL and The Graduate Institute as well as visionaries such as Nobel prize winner Carlo Rubbia, Johan Galtung, and the Swiss aeronaut Bertrand Piccard. Senior officials from a number of additional key energy supplying and consuming nations are also expected to attend.
The Energy Pact Foundation ( http://www.energypact.org )
The Energy Pact Foundation is a Swiss non-profit and non-political foundation placed under the supervision of the Swiss Federal Authorities. Its main goals are to promote the balanced use of different energy sources with the objective of reconciling innovation, economic development and the protection of the environment.
Press conference
A press conference will be organized on March 4, 2009 in Geneva and daily press briefings will be held during the conference.
Please register online at http://www.energypact.org by Wednesday, 11 March 2009.
Media Policy & contact:
For media accreditation (free but mandatory), interview requests or any other media-related questions, please contact Maude Hug, Press Officer, Tel: +41-22-308-62-23, m.hug@energypact.org . Please register online at http://www.energypact.org by Wednesday, 11 March 2009.
