During the ceremonies, Ban Ki-Moon, secretary general of the United Nations, highlighted the importance of the Congress as notable, among other benefits, for offering the potential to diminish poverty around the world.

Jean Charest, prime minister of the government of Québec, commented, "We have the opportunity to identify problems and search for real solutions."

Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament, added, "We should support each other and try to speak with one voice."

Christian Paradis, Canada's minister of natural resources, concurred with the need for mutual support in finding energy solutions.

Steve McLean, chairman of the Canadian Space Agency, offered the promise of help from satellites in serving energy and environmental needs. Satellites monitoring soil depths, water content in clouds and other vital signs of the Earth helped Canadians increase crop yields by more than 30%. Similar technology can measure carbon dioxide emissions and follow their path through the upper atmosphere. Further research can find more ways of using space technology to improve energy efficiency.

Pierre Gadonneix, chair of the World Energy Council and honorary chair of Électricité de France, challenged delegates to the Congress to consider the most important issues.

"There are three major fronts on which our sector must fight today with renewed market and regulatory instruments: economic growth, climate protections and social issues," he said.

He urged delegates to beware of shor-term solutions that don't solve the problems. The world needs long-term policies that offer incentives to sustainable investment decisions, he said.

In the area of climate protection, he added, there is a gap between the pledge and the goal reflecting concerns about the cost of moving to a low-carbon economy and the balance between development and environmental protection. Sound energy policies can bring the goal within reach.

"We have what it takes to move forward. We need energy policies designed to take into account the various technologies available, their potential, their pros and cons, and their costs in different contexts.

"Social issues raise real concerns," Gadonneix continued. "Energy transition must be acceptable to all, or else, it won't be," he said. Policies and goals must work for everyone and adapt to new lifestyles, including growing urbanization.

It means promoting acceptability of energy creation in all forms and realizing no answer is fail-safe and any accident can affect everyone. That requires more open communication with constituents about infrastructure and safety and dedication to listen, inform, explain with an open mind and adapt when necessary. Energy transition also requires accountability.

One element brings us all together, Gadonneix said, decision-makers must think that the market's invisible hand does not have all answers, that it has some malfunctions and that we need, besides the market, healthy regulations to face the great challenges of our time.

"This Congress provides us a unique opportunity to share our visions, our ideas and our practices in order to find, or imagine together, ways to rebalance market and regulation, to elaborate smart regulatory frameworks that make sustainable growth acceptable to all," he said.