Dr. Muhammad Saggaf, President of KAPSARC, was the keynote speaker at the third World Energy Policy Summit (WEPS), which was held in New Delhi, India, on December 5-6, 2013. The conference theme this year was Energy Growth, Partnership and Governance.
Moreover, on January 22, Dr. Saggaf, presented a seminar on Energy from a Societal Perspective at the invitation of Energy for Economics in Madrid, Spain. The event was organized in collaboration with the Ramón Areces Foundation.
In his keynote address to the WEPS and in his presentation at the Madrid seminar, Dr. Saggaf gave a brief introduction of KAPSARC, highlighting the Center’s mandate “to advance the understanding of energy challenges and opportunities facing the world today and tomorrow, through unbiased, independent, high-caliber research for the benefit of society, to create future value and prosperity for humanity and maximize societal benefit.”
In both events, Dr. Saggaf then focused on energy policy from a societal perspective, highlighting several current projects of the Center that revolve around this central theme of maximizing societal benefit. One of the projects highlighted moves our definition and understanding of energy productivity from a local, narrow perspective into a global one that emphasizes the impact on the world, thus impacting humanity as a whole. Another project optimizes energy systems in countries with regulated energy pricing, without the need to add societal burden through increased electricity tariffs. A third project aims to attain optimal energy transitions which achieve three seemingly conflicting objectives: 1) fastest possible transitions 2) minimize societal burden, and 3) maximize societal benefit by developing local industries.
Dr. Saggaf concluded by stating that several drivers affect the interplay between policy, economy, technology, and the environment; and that the “objective function” to be maximized can be commercial interest, national interest, or societal benefit.
The keynote address at WEPS and his presentation at the Madrid seminar were very well received, and a copy of the presentation was requested by numerous participants and attendees at both conferences.
WEPS is an international conference held annually, which seeks to bring together diverse views on various issues that influence those policies considered by governments, companies and other organizations. Described as the only independent international conference of its kind in the world, speakers and participants consisted of prominent industry leaders, executives, diplomats, academics, and thought leaders from India and around the globe.
Energy for Economics is a non-profit private research center that applies economic analysis to energy issues. Its mission is to create knowledge in the field of energy economics, and to transfer this knowledge effectively to society, informing, guiding and advising public and private decision makers.