Date: 04/07/2011
Source: The Department of Energy
Title: SA: Peters: Remarks by the Minister of Energy, at a press conference for the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the International Energy Agency

Ladies and Gentlemen
All media houses represented here today
Good afternoon,
Today marks a significant day for the Department of Energy and for South Africa. We are gathered here today not to initiate the start of a new cooperation, but to affirm the start of the formalisation of an existing and mutually beneficial cooperation.
South Africa and more specifically the Department of Energy have long enjoyed a fruitful cooperation over the last few years. South Africa’s cooperation with the International Energy Agency has unfolded throughout a number of years through various cooperative and implementation agreements on many thematic areas directly with the Department and also through our State-Owned entities. These implementation and cooperative agreements include the provision of energy statistics by the Department to the IEA in efforts to contribute towards transparency and exchanging of information. Through our state-owned entities, implementation agreements cover thematic areas such as Greenhouse Gases; Electricity Network Analysis Research and Development; Energy efficiency and Ocean energy which have been implemented and effected throughout the years.
This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is an important milestone for us because it seals the cooperative engagement that we enjoy with the IEA and also provides a common document which will enable both organisations to check and review the arrangement long after the two of us have left our respective portfolios. As South Africa continues to play a role in the global economy and strives to increase the significance of this role, participation in or with multilateral forums is critical in ensuring that we are not left behind. Energy is the lifeblood of any economy and economical development is highly dependent on availability of energy resources. As we are looking at ways to diversify or energy mix and move to modern forms of generating and using energy, it is important that we are closely aligned with matured economies through well recognised and reputable organisations. The IEA is one such organisation and this cooperation will ensure that we are able to catch up and are not left behind in this important global space.
This MoU will further enable us to leverage on the international expertise that the IEA embodies and will ensure streamlined cooperation where the entire sector benefits as opposed to only certain pockets of the sector. This MoU is a symbol of the importance of creating conditions in which exchange of information and expertise can contribute to the reaching the goals of energy security, economic growth and environmental protection in South Africa and in the member countries of the IEA. Areas covered under this MoU include renewable energy, data management and analysis, energy efficiency, clean technologies, policy analysis amongst others. South Africa has benefited from participation in the IEA and wish to continue deriving value from the IEA as well as also contributing to the wealth of knowledge and expertise that is embodied by the IEA.
Through this MOU we further proposed that a working group between the two parties be established to translate the MOU into tangible outputs (i.e. actual projects) which may also focus on the following: Data gathering and Information management and analysis, Climate Change, Clean Energy Ministerial; Clean Development Mechanism and National Energy Geographic Information System Atlas (Resource Mapping Atlas):
I thank you