Global energy leaders and experts urged countries to create an energy mix in their pursuit of environmentally sustainable economic growth in the Daegu Declaration signed at the end of the five-day 22nd World Energy Congress on Thursday.

They also stressed the need for international efforts to ensure good governance and safety and to incorporate innovative energy technologies, including smart grids and energy storage systems.

The 2013 WEC was held in Daegu under the theme of “Securing Tomorrow’s Energy Today” by the World Energy Council between Oct. 13 and 17.

For the first time in WEC history, the declaration ― issued by current World Energy Council chair Pierre Gadonneix, incoming chair Marie-Jos Nadeau and Korean Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Yoon Sang-jick ― listed objectives and the next steps for action for three energy issues, dubbed the “energy trilemma” ― energy security, energy equity and environmental sustainability.

After 63 sessions covering energy issues related to oil, gas, nuclear and renewable resources, about 6,000 delegates from more than 100 countries generally acknowledged the need for change in the energy world amid growing complexity and uncertainty.

To improve energy access, the Daegu Declaration stressed active cooperation between advanced nations and developing countries to expand energy infrastructure distribution in developing countries.

In addition, the WEC backed Northeast Asian energy cooperation projects under discussion, including power grid and gas pipeline connection projects, in an effort to cope with the energy trilemma in the region and potentially over the globe.

During the WEC, Korea expressed its hope of taking a leading role in regional energy projects under discussion.

In a special speech on Wednesday, President Park Geun-hye stressed the need for exploration of new initiatives for energy cooperation in Northeast Asia, citing the example of the construction of Russian gas pipelines to Western Europe in the 1980s during the height of the Cold War.

The World Energy Council said the 22nd congress helped to promote its role as a global platform for discussion on sustainable energy.

“We will ensure that the issues discussed at the Congress in Daegu continue to be developed through future congresses and through the work of the World Energy Council and its network of national member committees,” the statement said.

By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)