Now US President Barack Obama's Asia tour has taken him to Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and we'll see him in the Philippines on this Monday.

Despite skipping China, however, the NY times says the Washington's eye remains firmly on Beijing. The US Daily says Obama's tour of the region has reassured America's allies of its support, while discouraging the Chinese from trying to open a second front on the Pacific Rim.

Obama vowed to defend Japan from territorial disputes with China but urged Tokyo to show restraint. In South Korea, he pledged to defend Seoul from any threats from Pyongyang, China's traditional ally. Some experts view Obama's visit as a containment tour, skipping Beijing, but Obama has said he welcomed a rising China as long as it is peaceful.

We agree that technology will play a major part in the future, and we try to see what extent it could deliver results. We think that it is possible, we think that it is possible to have a long-term sustainable future, provided there are significant progress in renewables, progress meaning reduction in costs, significant progress in nuclear, meaning finding a solution for long-term waste, and a significant progress in Co2 capture and storage. If we reach that, we think we can reach a very sustainable future in 2050.

We agree that technology will play a major part in the future, and we try to see what extent it could deliver results. We think that it is possible, we think that it is possible to have a long-term sustainable future, provided there are significant progress in renewables, progress meaning reduction in costs, significant progress in nuclear, meaning finding a solution for long-term waste,

We agree that technology will play a major part in the future, and we try to see what extent it could deliver results. We think that it is possible, we think that it is possible to have a long-term sustainable future, provided there are significant progress in renewables, progress meaning reduction in costs, significant progress in nuclear,

 If we reach that, we think we can reach a very sustainable future in 2050.

We agree that technology will play a major part in the future, and we try to see what extent it could deliver results. We think that it is possible, we think that it is possible to have a long-term sustainable future, provided there are significant progress in If we reach that, we think we can reach a very sustainable future in 2050.

PM: Uh huh.

Ma: That has been published too. And we are continuing working on those topics.

PM: Sure, I wanted to ask you though, when it comes to reduction of energy or efficiency, what’s the IEA’s main focus? Is it individuals or are you looking to clean up heavy industry before you target the general public?

Ma: Both, sir. Both because both are absolutely necessary, both the individual and the industry, also agriculture, Everything is needed, and we see the main difficulties in the transport sector.

PM: Oh, well why the transport sector?

MA: Because there are no low hanging food there.? Any significant energy progress is available only at great cost. We can have small progress, we have made a proposal to have a standard on tires, for instances. There are tires that consume a lot of energy when used, and there are tires which consume less, and the consumer does not know that. So we need a norm on that too, a standard, and labeling. That could reduce energy consumption by 5% of the cost, which is not bad. But if we want to go to minus 30%, minus 50%, it would be very expensive and we don’t have clear cut technology for that. Right now, which is not the case for the rest, for electric consumption in industry or in households.

PM: Um hum. I wanted to ask you specifically about the vehicles and the development of hybrid technology. It’s sort of out there but I mean it’s not really catching on particulary with the consumers, because of the cumbersome aspect of hybrid technology when it actually comes to driving a vehicle. Is that something you’re promoting and is that something that is gaining interest in the G8?

Ma: For the time being, I think it’s a very …it’s an interesting technology. I don’t particularly share your views on the fact that it’s cumbersome. There is a hybrid car here in the IEA, and it’s very pleasant to drive. Quite the opposite—and easy. You see. For now the problem is that it’s still very expensive. Of course in many countries the expenses are covered by a subsidy but for the economy it’s still very expensive. And the results are not very marvelous. The reduction in emissions is not very different from the one you reach with an ordinary car but a diesel one, compared to a gasoline one, which is much less expensive.

PM: Yeah, exactly.

Ma: So I don’t think it’s the panacea for the time being, except if there is a significant reduction in cost.

They should, but that is their decision to endorse. They have endorsed one first tiny decision, which is tiny but which is very significant which is to phase out all the appliances which when in standby consume more than one watt. We have checked that it is possible, it is not costly, there are appliances for that, and they just need a normal standard for that. It’s just an example. It’s a tiny example but we are very much involved in that. We are also involved in trying to design to elaborate long term scenarios taking into account what technology could deliver.

If we reach that, we think we can reach a very sustainable future in 2050.

Mandill: We have been involved in the G8 process very heavily since 2005. It was the Glen Eagle’s G8 summit in Scotland under Mr. Blair’s presidency, and the G8 this year decided that energy efficiency was a very important task to be conducted in order to reduce greenhouse gases, and that for that there was a need to collect and to display, to disseminate the best practices in energy efficiency worldwide, and for that, the task was given to the IEA. That means that regularly, we work and we provide reports on which are the best practices on various topics, on lighting that has been published last year, on the industry and buildings which will be this year, etc. We will cover the whole range of energy and uses in order to provide the world and particularly the G8 leaders with the best practices.

They should, but that is their decision to endorse. They have endorsed one first tiny decision, which is tiny but which is very significant which is to phase out all the appliances which when in standby consume more than one watt. We have checked that it is possible, it is not costly, there are appliances for that, and they just need a normal standard for that. It’s just an example. It’s a tiny example but we are very much involved in that. We are also involved in trying to design to elaborate long term scenarios taking into account what technology could deliver.

Mandill: We have been involved in the G8 process very heavily since 2005. It was the Glen Eagle’s G8 summit in Scotland under Mr. Blair’s presidency, and the G8 this year decided that energy efficiency was a very important task to be conducted in order to reduce greenhouse gases, and that for that there was a need to collect and to display, to disseminate the best practices in energy efficiency worldwide, and for that, the task was given to the IEA. That means that regularly, we work and we provide reports on which are the best practices on various topics, on lighting that has been published last year, on the industry and buildings which will be this year, etc. We will cover the whole range of energy and uses in order to provide the world and particularly the G8 leaders with the best practices.

PJ: Mr. Mandill, thank you very much for being on the program. Well let’s talk about the G8 and its action towards climate change. There’s a lot of pressure particularly focused on the United States right now to try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I wanted to ask you about your work—the International Energy Agency’s work. When it comes to the G8 how involved were you guys and what sort of action are you taking?