Tale til CONCITO's lancering af nyt flagskibsinitiativ med fokus på fremme af grøn omstilling og investeringer

Thank you so much for the invitation to speak here today. In times like these, we urgently need initiatives to push for more climate action around the globe. And once again, you here at CONCITO are doing important work.

 

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We are living in challenging times for the green transition.

Many of the protests we see today are against climate action.

Just yesterday, I visited the Czech Republic where the government wants to challenge the EU adopted emissions limits on cars and postpone the scheduled faceout of fosil cars.

Across the globe, we see backlash against green progress already made.

Most recently, we had the COP29 result which many of you might find less than satisfying.

It appears to me that the green transition has lost a lot of momentum in recent years.

When I was appointed Climate Spokesperson for my party, Venstre, a couple of years ago, things seemed very different.

Greta Thunberg was drawing massive attention to the subject from young people across the world.

In 2019, the Danish election was quickly named ‘The Climate Election’ – as the climate was one of the most important issues for voters.

And leading up to the 2019 European Parliament election, we saw demonstrations for more climate action all across Europe – from Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future and many others.

Fast forward to the 2024 EP election – and the agenda has clearly changed.

Earlier this year, we saw tractor protests in the streets of many European cities – farmers calling for a roll-back of parts of the European Green Deal.

COP29 recently came to a conclusion that many feel was a missed opportunity.

And we are awaiting potential shifts on the green transition from the incoming US administration.

The tides have turned.

However, quite early in my career, I learned something about politics. Political change is like a pendulum [pen-dju-lem]. It will always swing back and forth.

The green transition will gather steam once again. And when it does, all the countries, companies and organisations that kept pushing for change will have a great advantage.

 

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In 2025, Denmark is taking over the Presidency of the Council of EU. And we have many important topics on the agenda. One of them, of course, is the green transition and the EU’s role in global climate action. Another key topic will be the Union’s competitiveness – which has been high on the agenda in recent months. European countries are simply falling behind their American and Chinese competitors.

Climate change and Europe’s competitiveness are challenges we urgently need to address. But if we do it right, I believe we can create great synergy between the two.

Because it is no secret that the EU has significant strengths when it comes to green sectors and technologies.

Since 1990, the EU has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 32%, while growing our economies by 67%.

European green innovation has created millions of jobs. In 2021 alone, we had over 5.1 million green jobs in Europe. And Europe’s green energy sector is still a global leader, accounting for 30% of the global wind energy market in 2022.

The green transition is fundamental to building a more competitive Europe. And a competitive Europe is the foundation of a Europe that can stand strong internationally.

The rest of the world will need Europe’s green technologies for their green transitions.

The climate crisis is not up for negotiation. We can’t run from it or ignore it. Most recently, we have seen the catastrophic consequences of it with the deadly floods in Spain. In recent years, we have seen droughts, floods, and extreme weather on a scale we don’t usually experience. And this is only a foretaste of the world we are going to inhabit if we don’t change course quickly and effectively.

This is where the swinging pendulum comes back: The countries with the most advanced green technologies will hold the strongest hand in the long run. Therefore, investments in Europe’s green sectors will be an essential part of addressing our declining competitiveness in the coming years. 

In times when the political results are not always uplifting, it is encouraging to know that the green technologies are often very good business cases. So even when the political results fall short, the market keeps moving forward.

 

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2025 will be a key year for climate action. And Europe is not going to turn its back on the green transition. With the Danish Presidency next year, it will be a key topic on the European agenda.

In November, the world will gather in Brazil for COP30 to discuss future climate action. And the EU must be at the forefront of these negotiations.

Therefore, we will push for the EU to agree on a 2040 climate target well ahead of COP30. We need to present this target to the UN as the EU’s nationally determined contribution to the Paris Agreement.

The European Commission has proposed a target of 90% reduction in 2040 and Denmark supports an ambitious target of at least 90%.

Furthermore, we need to mobilise more investments for climate and development in emerging and developing economies. That will be key for future climate action. With the new climate finance goal from COP29 we now have a clear direction.

In this light, the CONCITO initiative on Green Economy and Investments is very timely and important. We all need to pull together to ensure global action. This includes EU institutions, Member States, the private sector, and public financial institutions.

We need all hands on deck.

 

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As I mentioned before, I believe the pendulum of climate actions swings back and forth. Sometimes we have great momentum, other times we have frustrating stagnation.

It is of course only a small consolation to know that the pendulum will swing back sooner or later when we know how little time we have to save the planet.

But it is in times like these that we need the important work of all of you sitting here today. It is especially during the difficult periods that we need to keep pushing for change. So that, when the pendulum swings back, we will be ready to take a big leap forward.

Thank you.