G8 MEMBER COUNTRIES029Main Picture: JoséManuel Barroso, NaotoKan, Barack Obama,Herman Van Rompuy,David Cameron, DmitryMedvedev and StephenHarper (in a clockwisedirection) at the 2010 G8Summit in Canada.Right:Dmitry Medvedeva freedom that is founded on basic values and the law.Our task is to use every opportunity to transform ournew world into a world that is more just for the vastmajority of citizens, a world in which success isdetermined by talent and hard work rather than familybackground, a world where billions of people will beable to communicate directly with each other, a worldwhere people are not afraid of the government, andinternational relations are free from double standardsand hypocrisy, a world where it will be easier and moreefficient to work together, to work jointly. Especiallysince a new generation of leaders has come to power inmany countries, politicians whose views were formedafter the Cold War. We can discuss and realise ourdreams together. We are ready for this - and when I say"we", I mean Russia. nThe above remarks are excerpted from a speechDmitry Medvedev delivered at the World EconomicForum in Davos on January 26, 2011.

" "OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE HISTORIC INVESTMENTS MYADMINISTRATIONHAS MADE INCLEAN AND RENEWABLE ENERGY RESEARCH ANDTECHNOLOGYHAVE HELPED PRIVATE SECTORCOMPANIES GROWAND HIRE HUNDREDS OFTHOUSANDS OFNEW WORKERShile a clean energy standard will helpdrive private investment in innovation,Government funding will still be criticalon America's path to a low-carbon future,argues the country's President Barack Obama. Today, about two-fifths of our electricity comes fromclean energy sources. But we can do better than that. Ithink that with the right incentives in place, we candouble our use of clean energy. And that is why, in myState of the Union address back in January, I called fora new Clean Energy Standard for America: By 2035,80 per cent of our electricity needs to come from awide range of clean energy sources - renewables suchas wind and solar, efficient natural gas. And, yes, weare going to have to examine how we make clean coaland nuclear power work.In light of the ongoing events in Japan, I want to justtake a minute to talk about nuclear power. Right now,America gets about one-fifth of our electricity fromnuclear energy. And it is important to recognise thatnuclear energy does not emit carbon dioxide in theatmosphere. So those of us who are concerned aboutclimate change, we have got to recognise that nuclearpower is safe and can make a significant contributionto the climate change question. And I am determined to ensure that it is safe. So in lightof what has happened in Japan, I have requested acomprehensive safety review by the Nuclear RegulatoryCommission to make sure that all of our existingnuclear energy facilities are safe. And we are going toincorporate those conclusions and lessons from Japanin design and the building of the next generation ofplants. But we cannot simply take it off the table. My administration is leading global discussionsREMARKS ON ENERGY SECURITY030G8 MEMBER COUNTRIESBARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICAWPhoto: Official White House Photo by Pete Souzatowards a new international framework in which allcountries who are operating nuclear plants are makingsure that they are not spreading dangerous nuclearmaterials and technology.But more broadly, a clean energy standard can expandthe scope of clean energy investments because it gives cutting-edge companies the certainty that theyneed to invest. Essentially, what it does is it says to companies: you will have a customer if you are producing cleanenergy. Utilities need to buy a certain amount of clean energy in their overall portfolio, and that means that innovators are willing to make those bigcapital investments. And we have got to start now. In the 1980s, Americawas home to more than 80 per cent of the world's windcapacity, 90 per cent of the world's solar capacity. Wewere the leaders in wind. We were the leaders in solar.We owned the clean energy economy in the 1980s. Today, China has the most wind capacity. Germany hasthe most solar capacity. Both invest more in cleanenergy than we do, even though we are a largereconomy and a substantially larger user of energy. We have fallen behind on what is going to be the key toour future.Other countries are now exporting technology wepioneered and they are going after the jobs that comewith it because they know that the countries that leadthe 21st century clean energy economy will be thecountries that lead the 21st century global economy. I want America to be that nation. I want America towin the future.