Every three years, the World Energy Council, an international multi-energy organization that promotes sustainable supply and use of energy, holds the World Energy Congress. This year, Sept. 13-16, the 21st World Energy Congress moves to Montréal, Canada, for the second time – the city also hosted the event in 1989.

"This year it is at a crucial juncture because it's nine months after Copenhagen [COP15] and two months after the G-8 and G-20 – and of course energy was front and center on the agenda of the G-8 and G-20, even though the main focus was the financial [turmoil] in the world markets," said Stéphane Bertrand, executive director of the World Energy Congress – Montréal 2010. "But it's also about two months before the Cancun [Climate Change] Summit, COP16, and the last chance for energy leaders to meet together and try to define a position regarding climate change."

Featuring more than 200 speakers, this week's event brings together business leaders, governmental heads, energy ministers, and others to address current and future challenges.

There are some pretty heavy hitters in the event's line up – Khalid Al-Falih, president and chief executive officer of Saudi Aramco; Peter Voser, chief executive of Shell; even California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's an ambitious list, and so is the goal of the conference – to discuss ways the world can keep up with energy demand in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way.

Four 'As'

"We talk about the 'four As': accessibility, availability, acceptability and accountability," Bertrand said, adding that the association is the only one of its kind to represent all forms of energy — not just fossil fuels, but also nuclear and renewables.

The goal of the congress is to work toward responsible growth that reconciles economic development, environmental protection and the reduction of global inequities.

"The energy industry urgently seeks solutions to respond now to global challenges, as the situation requires an unprecedented level of cooperation between the energy industry and government, allowance for the realities of emerging economies, and an understanding of the diversity and complexity of the challenges and the evolving needs of the human community," according to the council's website.

"By 2050 the demand for energy will double. People need a reliable source, and that's a real challenge for every country," Bertrand said.

The World Energy Congress is much like an "Olympics" for energy – this event alternates years with the World Petroleum Congress (to be held in 2011) and the World Gas Congress (to be held in 2012).

Each day's program this week will address one of the "As." Day 1, on accessibility, will highlight "Meeting Energy Demand: A Global Challenge Requires Global Solutions." Day 2, focused on availability, will address "What is the Right Energy Mix for Long-Term Stability?" Day 3's agenda will feature acceptability, with talks on "Energy Solutions for a Living Planet." Day 4, with a focus on accountability, will address policies, regulations and financing.

Each day follows a similar presentation structure. At the beginning, the "champion of the day" will set out the issues to be discussed, followed by a round table, keynote speaker and lunch. In the afternoon there will be breakout issue sessions, paper presentations and council sessions that address global studies and regional work programs. These will be followed by a special address and a roundtable that offers a conclusion and daily wrap-up.

Bertrand said the end of the congress will feature an international regulatory group roundtable as well as a roundtable of energy ministers from around the world who will discuss the outcomes of the meeting.

"It's no longer business as usual," Bertrand said. "The price of energy had a real peak, and world economies were not able to afford it. And at the same time, we had the financial crisis. In developing countries, it takes a few years to recover from that. Over the next few years, prices will increase, and demand from developing countries will also increase significantly. It's a real challenge to the entire energy industry.

"Even if we do everything possible to lower CO2 [carbon dioxide] emissions, it may not be enough. Right now 86% is coming from fossil fuels. In 2030, that number will only be down from 75% to 80%. It's time for a reality check."

What's next?

The location for the World Energy Congress is selected by the World Energy Council's Executive Assembly from a number of candidates, and "the next congress after Montréal will be in Daegu, South Korea," Bertrand said.

As a result of being held in Canada, the Congress will likely have some lingering impacts on its host country – the annual conference of Canadian Energy Ministers will actually be held following the Congress.

"The co-hosts of the Congress are the Energy Council of Canada [ECC] and Hydro-Québec. The Energy Council of Canada is holding about 12 meetings across Canada to discuss the energy policy and raise awareness of the challenges facing the energy industry in Canada, as well as promoting the Montréal Congress. When the congress winds up, I think the ECC will be encouraged to push harder for change and update the energy policy in Canada," Bertrand explained.

The Montréal Congress will also have an impact "on an international level, [as] the congress will [establish] the Montréal Declaration," which is a statement that will be drafted at the end of the congress and will be a culmination of all the discussions held during the four-day event. This official statement will present the conclusions of the congress and define the World Energy Council's plan of action for the next three years, until the Daegu Congress in 2013.

"After the last congress, a new philosophy was adopted calling for accountability, and this means that we want to measure our progress from Montréal to the next congress in Daegu. So if we want to move to lower our greenhouse gas emissions, promote green energy or new kinds of cars, the actual results will be measured so we can see our progress for at least the next three or four years," Bertrand explained.

According to the World Energy Council, this event is crucial, as between now and 2020, world energy needs will grow steadily and prices will rise significantly, a conference fact sheet stated. In addition, world demand for energy is expected to double by 2050 and the energy sector is faced with overwhelming problems of environmental, social and political acceptability while the world economy is also facing major disruptions, the fact sheet further noted.

"It's very important to work on efficiency and invest in research and development," Bertrand said. "It is extremely important for people to be aware of what's going on right now in terms of energy, and that's the main challenge that we all face, poor countries and developing countries and rich countries – everybody, right down to the consumer."