Energy Security: Strategic Implications for Australia and China

Hosted by: Australian Institute of International Affairs, NSW

The event will start on: Tuesday, 31 August 2010 6:00 PM

And will end on: Tuesday, 31 August 2010 7:30 PM

At The Glover Cottages, Sydney

124 Kent Street , Sydney NSW

(02) 9247 2709     nsw.branch@aiia.asn.au

Posted by: nsw   

The words 'climate change' were on everyone's lips until our politicians tossed it into the too hard basket. 

The so-called 'greatest moral challenge of our time' was timed out.

But there is another, related, challenge that today looms large - energy security. It's an issue for big energy generators, like Australia, and big energy users, like China, India and Japan.

This special AIIA event will explore ten pertinent questions:

• Why is energy security important for the world?
• Why is energy security even more important for rapidly developing countries like China?
• What is the principal cause of the global energy security problem?
• Can a country like Australia hold up development of its vast resources of uranium?
• Is there any international organisation that can supply energy?
• What is the key strategic solution to the energy security problem?
• What role will vertical integration and foreign investment play?
• In the transportation sector, what are the short and long-term alternatives to oil?
• Will new energy technologies, including low-carbon technologies, solve the problem?
• How will these issues affect China – Australia relations?

Addressing these questions and provoking our discussion will be Robert Pritchard, managing director of Resources Law International. Robert is also executive director of the Energy Alliance of Australia, an energy policy body. He has been involved in advising on energy security issues since the time of the 1973 oil shock. He is also deputy president of the AIIA in New South Wales. 

This is a highly topical subject, and one which cannot be ignored by the new government in Canberra. We invite all those interested in resources and international affairs to join us on August 31