The Organization of American States (OAS) organized this week in Guatemala City the Second Seminar on Innovation, Science, and Technology for the Energy Efficient Development of Central America, in the framework of the activities of the Working Group on Energy Efficiency of the Climate and Energy Partnership of the Americas (ECPA).

During the first day of the seminar, specialists from Mesoamerica shared ideas on the promotion of greater energy efficiency in transportation. The Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy of Guatemala, Edwin Rodas, inaugurated the event saying “each city in Latin America has its problems when talking about transportation. Sharing successful experiences helps us to resolve these problems.” Referring to the seminar, Minister Rodas invited participants to “learn from the successful examples of other countries and guide our region towards greater energy efficiency in transportation.” The Vice Minister added that “these are the type of actions that help us to respond to the challenges of climate change.”

On the second day, representatives from prestigious Central American academic institutions and governments identified opportunities of cooperation in matters of sustainability in transportation. The institutions agreed to share their knowledge and experiences to carry out ambitious initiatives that have a high impact at a regional level and are economically viable.

The National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy (CONUEE) of Mexico, whose country chairs the Working Group on Energy Efficiency of ECPA, offered its assistance for the creation of a training course on technical-economical driving for transporting cargo and passengers. For its part, the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (TEC) offered to work on defining scientific and technological criteria for the selection of equipment. The Technical University of Panama (UTP) offered to facilitate the implementation of virtual courses on management and land use planning and transportation. The Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics made available its virtual platform for scientific collaboration “iSHARE” for conducting these courses. The ECPA will work closely with the OAS member states on these issues.

On the occasion of the seminar, the OAS reaffirmed its commitment to the Government of Guatemala to support the implementation of actions aimed at promoting greater energy efficiency. For this purpose, a technical exchange mission on energy savings in public administration buildings will be organized. The Government of Guatemala also expressed interest in promoting the certification of energy management systems in the industry and the establishment of a pilot project for public lighting.

The Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA), which the OAS manages, is a flexible mechanism created by the 2009 Summit of the Americas Meeting through which governments in the Hemisphere, in a voluntary manner, can carry out initiatives that involve other countries to promote cleaner energy, promote energy security, fight energy poverty, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the sustainability of the Americas. More information on this initiative is available at http://www.ecpamericas.org