Expert opinion

	03.12.06 Victoria Panova G8 research group, University of Toronto, Director for Russia
	03.12.06 Mona Bricke German NGO Forum Environment and Development
	03.12.06 Nigel Martin Montreal International Rorum (FIM)
	02.12.06 John Kirton Head of G8 Research Group, University of Toronto
	02.12.06 Regina Gunter Head of the WWF Germany

News

Russia Calls on G8 to Be Responsible

Russia has raised the question of responsibility of energy consuming states during the G8 finance ministers' meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia's Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin told the reporters. Kudrin chaired the financial summit this year.
"We had the supply steadily growing, but faced the consumption shock. In this context, the role of consumers' responsibility is stepping up," Kudrin made clear to the summit.

After discussing the problem of energy security, the G8 finance ministers spelled out responsibility of both energy producers and energy consumers in the final communiquй. The document, for instance, says that all market players should facilitate funding the energy sector, improve efficiency of using natural resources and contribute to making transparent all data about the energy markets.

In the capacity of the G8 chair, Russia added an issue of energy markets development to the agenda. The subject of energy security will be in the center of attention at the summit of G8 heads of states that St. Petersburg hosts in July.

In 1970s, the surge in crude prices forced developed states to shift to the policy of energy saving. Although soaring, the prices manifest the step-by-step growth today. Besides, the countries have become accustomed to the thrifty approach when consuming hydrocarbon. Today's situation differs from the crisis of 1970s. At that time, the shock rooted in restricted offer of energy resources, while the current highlight is the shock of consumption.

Another concern at the G8 meeting of finance ministers was improving transparency and reliability of data about the energy markets, including necessity to make out common accounting standard for crude reserves.

"The long term policy of consumers should be transparent and clear to us, as in each country, everything is different," Russia's Energy and Industry Minister Viktor Khristenko said earlier. "The Europeans proceed from one paradigm to control the demand, the Americans [stick to] the other. In this case, "transparency" is the factor no less significant for the market than stability."

Expert opinion

	02.12.06 Halter Marek Le College de France
	02.12.06 Olivier Giscard d’Estaing COPAM, France
	02.12.06 Mika Ohbayashi Institute for Sustainable Energy Poliсy
	02.12.06 Bill Pace World Federalist Movement - Institute for Global Policy
	01.12.06 Peter I. Hajnal Toronto University, G8 Research Group