[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 8 (Monday, February 28, 2005)]
[Pages 305-307]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Joint Statement: U.S.-German Joint Actions on Cleaner and More Efficient 
Energy, Development and Climate Change

February 23, 2005

    Germany and the United States have a history of working together 
bilaterally and multilaterally to promote strong economic growth, reduce 
harmful air pollution, improve energy security, and mitigate greenhouse 
gas emissions through such mechanisms as the UN Framework Convention on 
Climate Change and its Delhi Declaration, the G-8 Action Plan on Science 
and Technology for Sustainable Development, and the World Summit on 
Sustainable Development Plan of Implementation. The United States and 
Germany welcome the continued work in this area under United Kingdom's 
G-8 Presidency.
    1) Cooperation with Developing Countries
    We are particularly committed to working with developing countries 
to help them meet their own development and poverty reduction 
priorities, which requires increased access to all forms of cleaner, 
more abundant, and more affordable modern energy sources, including 
renewable and efficiency technologies. To this end, we have worked to 
include major developing countries in our multilateral technology 
partnerships, to ensure that cleaner, more efficient technologies are 
appropriate to all major nations and regions of the world. We will 
broaden and reinforce those activities. We anticipate additional 
opportunities as we work together to address global environmental, 
economic and social challenges and opportunities.
    2) Energy Conservation and Efficiency
    Considerable economically viable technologies exist, and should be 
encouraged, for boosting energy efficiency in industrialized and 
developing countries. Progress on energy efficiency provides one of the 
greatest opportunities for cost-effective reduction in pollution and 
greenhouse gases and improvement in energy security. Examples range from 
highly efficient power stations, through energy-saving products, to 
fuel-efficient vehicles. Innovative future technologies such as fuel 
cells and photovoltaics offer great economic prospects. A promising new 
field is the area of nanosciences. They have the potential of offering 
higher energy efficiency, in particular more energy efficient commercial 
and household products, including vehicles, through the use of new 
materials and new illumination technologies. An intensification of our 
bilateral cooperation in the field of energy conservation, efficiency 
and new technologies could accelerate our progress. Grasping these 
opportunities will strengthen our economy and open up profitable markets 
for our companies.
    The United States and Germany also have a joint commitment to the 
multilateral Methane to Markets Partnership that will advance

[[Page 306]]

the commercial use of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from coalmines, 
natural gas and oil reserves and landfill sites. This initiative 
promises to significantly reduce methane emissions and put them to 
profitable use as a clean energy source.
    3) Modernization of domestic power generation
    Efficient and cleaner production of heat and power from coal and 
natural gas are advanced by German-U.S. cooperation in the Carbon 
Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF), FUTUREGEN, and CORETECH. These 
three initiatives will help dramatically advance cleaner heat and power 
production from coal and natural gas via focused research and 
development efforts.
    These activities underscore the important contribution of 
modernization of energy systems to supporting economic growth, improving 
energy security, and reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. 
Highly efficient technologies offer great opportunities to cost-
effectively reduce energy consumption, pollution, and greenhouse gas 
emissions. Germany and the United States will make joint efforts to 
apply these technologies domestically and worldwide, especially in fast 
growing developing countries.
    4) Innovation for future energy systems
    The United States and Germany lead global efforts to develop future 
energy systems including the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. Both 
countries are founding members of the International Partnership for the 
Hydrogen Economy established by 15 counties and the European Commission 
in 2003 to conduct advanced research and development in hydrogen and 
fuel cell technologies. Germany and the United States cooperate 
bilaterally and multilaterally in the development of hydrogen powered 
fuel cells use in the transport and stationary sectors. A close 
cooperation in the research and innovation activities of the United 
States and Germany for future energy and transport systems, including 
fuel cells and hydrogen, will be a driving force to make these 
technologies available and price competitive.
    5) International cooperation for renewable energy
    Renewable energies should play an increasing role in the portfolio 
of modern energy systems. Renewables 2004, an international conference 
convened by the German government, provided a platform to advance 
renewable energy (e.g., biomass, wind, geothermal, solar, and 
hydropower) technologies and policies. Both the United States and German 
governments pledged financial and technical resources to advance 
development of renewable energy in the overall global mix of heat and 
power production. Recognizing that a wide range of different renewable 
technologies offer a variety of possibilities for joint projects on both 
bilateral and multilateral levels, the German and U.S. governments will 
work together to fulfill the pledges made at Renewables 2004.

Summary

    The United States and Germany will broaden and reinforce their 
activities in three areas of common action to improve energy security 
and reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, while supporting 
strong economic growth:
 <bullet>    First, joint activities to further develop and deploy 
            cleaner, more efficient technologies to support sustainable 
            development.
 <bullet>    Second, cooperation in advancing climate science, and 
            developing effective national tools for policy action.
 <bullet>    Third, joint action to raise the efficiency of the energy 
            sector and address air pollution and greenhouse gas 
            emissions in our own countries and around the world.
    We will continue working together and through partnership with the 
G-8 countries under the Action Plan for Science and Technology for 
Sustainable Development to enhance these efforts.

 Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.

[[Page 307]]