President ECOSF, Prof. Tayebi participated in the International Conference on Energy Resilience and Sustainability (ICERS) 2024
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President of ECOSF, Prof. Seyed Komail Tayebi participated in the International Conference on Energy Resilience and Sustainability (ICERS) 2024, organized by Sharif University of Technology (SUT) in Tehran from April 18-21, 2024. The 4-day conference was held at the Iran National Library and the Faculty of Computer Sciences, SUT in cooperation with ECOSF.
The conference addressed important aspects of energy challenges across seven panel sessions: Energy Policy and Planning, Energy Governance and Management, Energy Security, Energy Financing and Investment, Energy and Environment, Emerging Technologies and Industries, and Energy Resources. The session on “Energy Security” was moderated by Prof. Tayebi.
As the first speaker, Prof. Tayebi delivered a presentation on "Energy Security in the ECO Region: Assessing Resilience and Sustainability." He discussed how energy security is closely linked to economic growth and development and is a fundamental requirement for industrialization, transportation, and agriculture, which are the pillars of modern economies. Countries that depend heavily on imported energy resources are vulnerable to supply disruptions due to political instability, conflicts, and natural disasters. Therefore, energy security is a critical factor in shaping foreign policy and international relations. Prof. Tayebi emphasized that energy security is not just about ensuring the availability of energy resources but also about their sustainability, particularly in the context of climate change, a major global challenge. Balancing the need for energy security with the imperative of reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change is essential.
In the second part of his presentation, Prof. Tayebi highlighted the strong energy security in Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan due to their rich fossil fuel reserves, while Türkiye benefits from diversification. Afghanistan and Pakistan are vulnerable to energy prices due to their heavy reliance on imports. However, most ECO members face environmental sustainability concerns because of high CO2 emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. Prof. Tayebi concluded that all member countries, especially those reliant on fossil fuels, can benefit from developing solar, wind, and geothermal energy. Additionally, countries reliant on single fuels should explore alternative sources to reduce price vulnerability. ECO countries must collaborate on energy projects, regional projects, capacity building, and sharing resources and expertise.
Other speakers included Prof. Ali Akbar Salehi, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, and Prof. Brian Norton, Vice-President of the European Academies Science Advisory Council. They discussed the importance of energy security worldwide. Prof. Salehi noted that there is no unique solution for all countries’ energy security, as each country has its own approach to solving its energy issues. For example, fossil fuels are much more affordable in Iran than in Japan, leading to different solutions for their energy security. Additionally, Prof. Norton emphasized the importance of energy storage alongside renewable energy and energy management.
