In 2010 Denmark would be channelling twice as much funding into studies of new energy technology than it currently was, promised Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen in his opening speech at the international Nordic Climate Solutions 2009 conference.|
"The climate is an important issue – not in spite of the financial crisis, but rather because the crisis has made it even more important," Rasmussen remarked in his opening speech on 8 September. "The regions, nations and companies who can make the transition to a green economy will be tomorrow’s winners. And those at the forefront will be the leaders in 10 or 20 years." Rasmussen says that investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency will pay themselves off rapidly and will create new jobs. The global market value of green technology in 2005 was 1000 billion euros. In 2010 it is expected to be 1500 billion euros. The solar energy industry alone has doubled over the last two years. Global climate change has thus created a unique and rapidly developing growth area for new technology and solutions. These were considered by more than one thousand of the world’s leading climate experts, businessmen and politicians from over 40 countries in Copenhagen on 8 and 9 September. Apart from Rasmussen and Ásgrímsson, the conference was also attended by the likes of European Commission energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs and Danish Energy and Climate Minister Connie Hedegaard. The conference also drew attention to the UN summit on climate change, which is due to be held in less than three months and which will see the world gathering in Copenhagen with the ambitious aim of achieving, in two weeks, an agreement through long negotiations which will see the average global temperature rising by no more than 2° C by 2050. |
Denmark to double its funding of research into new energy technology
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Rasmussen’s promise reflects the efforts being made and the concrete steps being taken by the Nordic countries in the battle against climate change and in the contribution to renewable sources of energy. But governments and policies alone will not be enough to reduce the amount of waste gases being pumped into the atmosphere or the warming of the climate, or to develop and introduce environmentally-friendly technology. A very important part in the development of new technology and solutions would be played by entrepreneurs, emphasised both Rasmussen and Halldór Ásgrímsson, Secretary-General of the Nordic Council of Ministers. |