The European Seminar was organised by
INFORSE-Europe in cooperation with
Samsø Energy & Environment Office at
the New Energy Academy. (www.energiakademiet.dk)

See pictures from the Seminar:
Presentations, workshops, anniversary and tour.


The Seminar took place at the new Energy Academy on Samsø Island, a Danish island, which was selected by the Danish Government as a demonstration case for a community to be supplied with 100% renewable energy.
The 40 attendees represented 26 organizations from 18 European countries.
The seminar dealt with such issues as:
- How to turn EU to sustainable energy, using and improving the new EU energy policies.
NGO activities to raise awareness on sustainable-energy issues politically and publicly, as well as in education.
- Visions of sustainable national and EU energy futures.
- Discussions of present and future NGO cooperation in Europe.

The workshops addressed the various issues,
and a tour was provided of Samsø Island renewable-energy installations.
The seminar also included the celebrations of the
- 15-year anniversary of INFORSE, the
- 10-year anniversary of the renewable-energy island,
and the INFORSE-Europe General Meeting

Seminar Program/Proceedings:
Presentations can be downloaded as pdf files of the handouts of the power point presentations (6 slides per page).

Monday 1/10

8.00 Breakfast
9.30 Welcome by the organisers, practical issues, program of the week
10.00 Short Presentation of Participants

11.30 Coffee/tea

11.00 INFORSE's Activities: General and Structure, Work on Structural Funds, Education & Exhibitions, DIERET, EU & International Policies
Presentations by INFORSE-Europe’s Board and Coordinators:
Ursel Beckmann, Germany; Pete West, UK; Ion Zamfir, Romania; Emil Bedi, Slovakia; Gunnar Boye Olesen, Denmark

12.30 Lunch

13.30 Visions for Sustainable Energy:
- Introduction and European Vision by Gunnar Boye Olesen INFORSE-Europe
Handouts (file 210 kB)
More information link: INFORSE Vision 2050
- UK Zero Carbon Britain by Paul Allen, Centre for Alternative Technology, Wales, UK
Handouts (file 333 kB)
- Latvia, by Alda Ozola, Latvian Green Movement
Handouts (file 254 kB)
More information link: INFORSE Vision 2050: Latvia
- Scientific Approach, Research at the Aalborg University, by Ebbe Münster, Planenergi in cooperation with the Aalborg University
Handouts (file 12.7 MB)

15.00 Discussion, coffee & tea
15.30 Tour at the Energy Academy
17.00 Presentation of Participating Organisations;
18.30 Dinner

20.00 Optional evening presentations and discussions:
CAT 35-year History and Next 10 Years,
by Paul Allen, Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), Wales, UK
Handouts (file 1.44 MB)

21.00 Film on Palm Oil in Indonesia

Tuesday 2/10

8.00 Breakfast

9.00 New European Energy Policy:
- Introductions by Gunnar Boye Olesen (INFORSE) and Peter Danielsson (EREF)
Handouts (file 38 kB)
Plenary Discussion with Focus on our Positions
Coffee and tea

10.30 Increase Biofuel Use and Sustainability:
- Introductions
by Sergio Oceransky (Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy)
Handouts (file 308 kB)
by Peter Danielsson (EREF)
Handouts (file 55.2 kB)
by Gunnar Boye Olesen (INFORSE-Europe)
Handouts (file 41.3 kB)

- Discussions in short break-up groups.
- Plenary with conclusions
12.00 Lunch

13.00 Emissions Trading - NGO opinions
- Presentations
by Paul Allen (CAT, UK)
Handouts (file 169 kB)
by Emil Bedi (FAE, Slovakia)
Notes (file 25 kB)
by Peter Danielsson (EREF)
Handouts (file 49 kB)

- Plenary Discussion

14.00 Group Workshops on:
I. Structural Funds on Lessons Learned - How to use them/guide to NGOs,
Recommendations for Countries and EU
with Emil Bedi, Pete West, Ion Zamfir
More information link: INFORSE-Europe's site on EU Structural Funds and Project Collection
II. Building Working Solar / RE Models for Demonstration and Education,
with Ursel Beckmann and Samsø Energy Academy
Pictures
More information link:Experiments of the INFORSE School Resource Database
III. EU Neighbourhood Policies and Energy
with Gunnar Boye Olesen and Yuri Matveev, NGO Renewable Energy Agency, Ukraine
Handouts (file 47 kB)

18.00 Dinner
20.00 Optional Evening Program and Discussions

Wednesday 3/10

8.00 Breakfast
9.00 General Meeting of INFORSE-Europe
- Reporting according to bylaws
- Discussion of future activities with break-out groups
- Formation of working groups, as appropriate
- Comments from members on present structure with 5-person Board, 2 Coordinators, and
Biannual General Meetings.
- Election of the Board and the Coordinators.

More information link: INFORSE-Europe's Coordinators and Board. *
Description of INFORSE-Europe (incl Bylaws etc)

13.00 Lunch

14.00 Working Group on Future INFORSE-Europe Activities:
- Education/SPARE activities
More information link: INFORSE-Europe's School activities (SPARE, models, resource database)
- Biofuel
- Sustainable Energy Visions and Scenarios
(EnergyPlan Model, INFORSE Visions, Zero Carbon Britain)

19.00 INFORSE-Europe 15-Year Party

Dinner
Posters with History of INFORSE--Europe (contributed by the Board & Secretariat)

Thursday 4/10 - Friday 5/10:
Samsø Renewable Energy Island:
10-Year, and Challenges for the Next 10 year;
Guided Bus Tour.

Thursday 4/10

8.00 Opening of the Center
9.00 - 10.30 Check in, and light breakfast

Welcome
By Carsten Bruun, Mayor of the Samsø Municipality

Evaluation of the Renewable-Energy (RE) Island Development based on the 10 year Experience
By Peter Jørgensen, biologist and energy planner, and
Handouts (file 163 kB)

Public Participation, Local Ownership and Community Organization. Basic Tools of the Energy Island Development
By Søren Hermansen, director, Samsø Energy Academy
Handouts (file 1.6 MB)

13.00 – 14.00 Lunch

Energy Strategy 2025 - The Danish Government’s Long Term Strategy on Energy Policy in Denmark.
Security of Supply, Global Climate Change and Growth and Economic Development.
By Anne Højer Simonsen, vice director, The Danish Energy Authority
Handouts (file 298 kB)

Future Visions and Co-operation
By Vicky Argyraki, EACI, EU Regional Energy Offices
Handouts (file 385 KB9t)

Energy Democracy. Tools to Involve People from all Nationalities in Sustainable Energy Development.
The Scandinavian Co-op Model in Action.
By Iida Tetsunary, ISEP (Institute of Sustainable Energy Policy), INFORSE East Asia Coordinator, Japan
Presentation (file 1 MB)

14.00 – 17.00 Study Tour by Bus to Renewable-Energy Installations of Samsø.
Wind, Biomass, District Heating and Solar. Individual Solutions and Visions.

19.00 Conference Dinner at Ballen Hotel

Friday 5/10
Theme: 10 years Ahead of Us - What is on the Agenda?

Breakfast

Workshops (parallel): What are the 3 most important areas of development for the next 10 years for the global community, for EU and for the individual.

Themes and Hosts of the Workshops:

Regional Development, Job Creation, Structural Developments and Visionary Cooperation in the Region.
With Henrik Brask Petersen, head of unit, Region Midtjylland

How do we Communicate the Good Story of Renewable Energy Development?
With Jesper Kjems, journalist and communication officer, The Danish Energy Service

Renewable Teaching -Changing Habits and Attitudes
With Frank Mundt, Energy Camp leader, Samsø Energy Academy

NGO - Grassroot Organizations’ Role in Energy Policy and Development.
With Ejvin Beuse, head of OVE, The Danish Organization for Renewable Energy.

Local action - Local Ownership
With Søren Hermansen, director, Samsø Energy Academy

The Renewable Energy Island in Denmark - The Success Story in Short
In 1998, the island of Samsø was selected by the Danish Government as a demonstration case for a community to be supplied with 100% renewable energy. The island, which covers 114 km2, has 4,400 inhabitants. The most important means of achieving this objective during the period of 1998-2008 are:
Increased efficiency in terms of heat & electricity.
Expansion of district heating, increased number of residents using neighbour heating and individual heating systems fuelled by local biomass resources, and solar thermal collectors.
Construction of wind power plants to cover electricity production.
Gradual conversion of the transport sector from petrol to biofuels, electricity and, later, to hydrogen.

In June 2007, the “Energy Academy” has been opened. The house is a new, environment friendly designed house, where scientists and researchers can meet. Seminars and training sessions are arranged and a permanent exhibition will demonstrate renewable energy and local sustainable development. The INFORSE-Europe seminar will be one of the first events at the new center.

See more information: 2-page Seminar Brochure: (608 kB)

Contacts:

INFORSE-Europe
Gl. Kirkevej 82, 8530, Hjortshøj, Denmark.
T: +45-86227000, F: +45-86227096, e-mail: ove@inforse.org
http://www.inforse.org/europe

Local organisers:
Samsø Energy and Environment Office, Energitjenesten (INFORSE member)
Museumvej 1, Tranebjerg, DK-8305 Samsø T: +45-87921016
Samsø Energy Academy
Strandengen 1, Ballen, DK-8305 Samsø T: +45 87 921011
W: www.veo.dk, www.energiakademiet.dk