The World Summit has failed to set any targets or timescales for increasing the use of renewable energy, representing a last-minute defeat for the European Union.
Late on Monday ministers in Johannesburg agreed that the international action plan to reduce global poverty without damaging the planet should only call for a 鈥渟ubstantial increase鈥� in renewables 鈥渨ith a sense of urgency鈥�. European demands for an increase of one per cent by 2010 were rejected, as was a Brazilian call for a target of 10 per cent by 2010.
At the moment only two per cent of the world鈥檚 primary energy comes from clean, renewable sources like wind, wave and solar power. Many countries had hoped to agree a specific increase in order to reduce the pollution that causes climate change.
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But any target was vigorously opposed by the US, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, and some developing countries.
Sticking point
The disagreement was the last significant sticking point in agreeing the action plan that is expected to be the main outcome of the World Summit. Margot Wallstrom, the European Environment Commissioner conceded 鈥渢his is not an ideal text for us鈥�.
But agreement has been reached on providing one billion people with clean water and sanitation by 2015, and on issues of climate change, trade, fish stocks and biodiversity.
The UK environment minister Margaret Beckett said: 鈥淭he overall outcome of this summit is truly remarkable.鈥�
Cleaner fossil fuels
The rejection of targets for renewable energy use was accompanied by an agreement to back non-renewable 鈥渃leaner fossil fuel technologies鈥� and to improve access to 鈥渞eliable and affordable energy services鈥�.
Nuclear power is not mentioned in the agreed text, although the wording is sufficiently vague to satisfy its advocates. It calls on countries 鈥渢o diversify energy supply by developing advanced, cleaner, more efficient, affordable and cost-effective energy technologies鈥�.
Environmentalists have condemned the agreement as a 鈥渄ismal failure鈥�. Its rejection of a renewables target, its support for coal and its ambiguity over nuclear power meant that it was 鈥渉ugely disappointing鈥�, said Paul Jefferiss from the UK鈥檚 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Friends of the Earth described the agreement as a 鈥渢errible betrayal鈥� in the battle against climate change.
The United Nations, anxious to portray the World Summit as a success, stressed that countries were still being urged to expand their use of renewables. The World Summit, which involves over 170 countries, is due to finish on Wednesday with a new political declaration on sustainable development.